Cowboy Who?

New Cyanide and Happiness Comic

BELOIT, WI—After following a vehicle that had exited the parking lot of Hatley’s Pub and pulling it over on suspicion of drunk driving, local traffic cop Travis Hatcher was reportedly too intoxicated Thursday to administer a field sobriety test. “Hey there, Mr. Speed Racer Man…uh, do you know how fast I was—I mean you…

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The Beigie Awards are back to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. This time, we shine a spotlight on one entry that explains how some businesses are feeling the impacts of higher for longer interest rates.

Related episodes:
The interest-ing world of interest rates (Apple / Spotify)
The Beigie Awards: Why banks are going on a "loan diet" (Apple / Spotify)
Where are interest rates going?

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

(Image credit: John Greim)

To our treasured [COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY NAME] community,

This week, the unthinkable occurred on our [REVERENT ADJECTIVE] campus. An [INFLAMMATORY COLLECTIVE NOUN] overtook the historic [CENTRAL CAMPUS LOCATION NAMED AFTER PROBLEMATIC DONOR]. Thankfully, the [CAMPUS POLICE / MUNICIPAL POLICE / NATIONAL GUARD / PRIVATE MILITIA HIRED BY BILLIONAIRE FOOTBALL BOOSTERS] responded with [A DIFFERENT REVERENT ADJECTIVE] and [YET ANOTHER REVERENT ADJECTIVE] action to defend the defenseless [AFOREMENTIONED CAMPUS LOCATION] from this band of thugs. While [NUMBER HIGHER THAN 100] individuals were thrown to the ground, tased, tear gassed, and arrested, only [PERCENTAGE BETWEEN 85 AND 99] of these vigilantes were affiliated with our campus as students, faculty, or staff. The vast majority of [NUMBER BETWEEN 0 AND 5] of them were outside agitators from the greater [CITY OR TOWN WHERE YOUR INSTITUTION IS LOCATED AND IN WHICH IT CLAIMS TO BE DEEPLY INGRAINED] area.

These individuals have all been charged with criminal trespass and are forbidden from returning to campus, except, in the case of students, when submitting outstanding tuition payments of [YOUR BIRTH MONTH TIMES YOUR DATE OF BIRTH TO THE 15TH POWER] to the Office of the Bursar to process their official expulsion paperwork. Faculty should accommodate any students affected by these events, which is no students, because, again, these were not student-activists but rather [IDK JUST MAKE SOMETHING UP LOL].

This is not who we are as a campus community. When [NAME OF COLONIAL SLAVE OWNER] founded our college as a [SEMINARY / FARMING AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY TECHNICAL COLLEGE] in [YEAR OF FOUNDING WHEN NEITHER WOMEN NOR STUDENTS OF COLOR WERE ALLOWED TO ENROLL], he bravely coined our motto: [LATIN PLATITUDE THAT OVER THE YEARS HAS BECOME A RUNNING JOKE AMONG STUDENTS AND FACULTY]. These wise words have guided our mission ever since and rang in my ears as I called in the [CAMPUS POLICE / MUNICIPAL POLICE / NATIONAL GUARD / PRIVATE MILITIA HIGHERED BY BOOSTERS OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM] to use [EUPHEMISTIC REFERENCE TO MILITARY-GRADE WEAPONS] on the enemy infiltrators.

Thanks to our [THESAURUS ENTRY FOR UNDERPAID] staff, who worked through the night to clean things up, I look forward to welcoming your families next week to [AFOREMENTIONED CENTRAL CAMPUS LOCATION] via hologram from my bunker for our [ORDINAL NUMBER] and definitely not final commencement ceremony. Kindly remind your loved ones to bring three forms of ID and a pair of [FAVORITE BRAND OF PROTECTIVE GOGGLES]. In the meantime, we’d like to give you a chance to share your thoughts and concerns regarding this developing situation at our upcoming webinar on Friday from [SHORT, WILLFULLY AMBIGUOUS TIMEFRAME]. Please submit all questions for review to alumnidonations@[INSTITUTION’S NAME].edu.

And to the Board of Trustees: Remember that I know where the bodies are buried. Literally: our campus is built on the ancestral grounds of the [LOCAL INDIGENOUS GROUP WHOSE NAME I HAVE TO LOOK UP HOW TO PRONOUNCE BEFORE OFFICIAL EVENTS] people.

Go [RACIST MASCOT]!
President [YOUR REVILED NAME]

NEW YORK—Resting the device on his thighs behind the defendant’s table, former President Donald Trump reportedly watched a movie on an iPad during his trial Thursday, not bothering to use headphones. As witness Keith Davidson continued his testimony this morning, several reports indicated that people in the courtroom…

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Moderate to severe river flooding is expected to affect counties across east Texas over the next few weeks, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms and flash flooding spanned across counties north of Houston overnight Sunday, leaving streets underwater and homes damages.

Delia Garza said the arrest documents from Monday are more detailed than last week and will likely lead to cases going to court.

The prospect of a Democratic primary challenge to Judge Lina Hidalgo comes amid speculation that Hidalgo may leave to seek higher office.

There was a total of 215 incidents of road rage involving guns in Houston from 2014-23, with 207 people being shot during those incidents, according to a list compiled by The Trace, a nonprofit news outlet that used data from the Gun Violence Archive.

On Thursday's show: We discuss several city transportation and mobility projects that have been halted or even reversed since Mayor John Whitmire took office. And we consider ways to minimize or eliminate social stigma surrounding mental health.

In brief: Houston has largely been spared by heavy rainfall during the last two days, but the story has been different to the north of our region, especially along and north of Highway 105. This could change beginning late Thursday night, when the city of Houston will see the potential for heavy rainfall. Next week still looks rather hot.

It has been a wet and stormy night for areas north of Houston, including locations such as College Station, Huntsville, and Livingston. Since Wednesday evening, accumulations for areas north of Lake Conroe and around Lake Livingston have reached 7 to 10 inches, leading to flash flooding. This is certain to lead to additional, significant downstream flooding along the San Jacinto and Trinity rivers during the coming days.

So far Harris and surrounding counties have been spared by the latest round of showers. Although the atmospheric conditions supporting heavy rain remain most favorable for locations north of the Houston metro area in the coming days, some of this activity will push southward. At this time, the most likely period for heavy rainfall across the Houston metro area will now come early on Friday.

To that end we are maintaining a Stage 1 flood alert for the Houston area today and Friday. For the northern locations described above, the regions around the lakes Conroe and Livingston, we are definitely approaching Stage 3 conditions on our flood scale. But I want to be clear that, for now, we don’t expect that kind of flash flooding conditions in the Houston metro area. It really has been a sharp gradient in rainfall. For example, during the last two days The Woodlands has recorded less than one-quarter of an inch of rain. Less than 30 miles to the north, New Waverly has received nearly 8 inches.

Thursday

I expect the band of heavy rainfall to the north of the Houston metro area to persist through the morning hours before there is some weakening. It will likely move slightly south, covering much of Montgomery County, but it should be diminishing in intensity through the morning hours. Later this afternoon I expect to see some scattered showers and thunderstorms pop up across Houston, but at this time they don’t look too terribly organized. For the most part, in the city of Houston and points south, we should see partly to mostly cloudy skies with muggy air and highs in the mid-80s. There likely will be a bit of a break from showers this evening for the area.

Thursday night into Friday morning

While there is the usual uncertainty, it does appear as though another round of showers and thunderstorms will develop later on Thursday night, likely after midnight. At this time there is a greater likelihood of rainfall across most of the Houston area, including locations south of Interstate 10. Roughly speaking, there is the potential for an additional 1 to 4 inches of rainfall accumulations, with the risk for higher totals running from the wee hours of Friday morning into the middle of the day.

There could be some higher bullseyes. I don’t feel overly confident in the details of this forecast, so expect an update on this website later this afternoon as we get better data. The bottom line is that it could be a wet night for Houston, but I’m not guaranteeing it. Because of this potential for additional rain tonight into Friday, we’re holding on to the Stage 1 flood alert for the entire Houston area.

Friday

We probably will see the heavy rainfall threat ending later on Friday, so expect partially clearing skies to go along with highs in the low- to mid-80s during the afternoon hours.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend, for the most part, should bring partly sunny skies and modestly warm weather to Houston. Look for highs in the mid-80s. While rain chances overall in Houston are quite low, they are not zero. Unfortunately, chances appear to be a bit higher for locations north of the city, including the hard hit areas north of Highway 105 described above. To be clear we’re not talking about inches and inches more of rain, but there will be the potential for additional showers and thunderstorms this weekend.

Next week

We’re still looking at the warmest weather we’ve seen so far in 2024 next week. Expect highs in the low-90s by mid-week, with plenty of humidity to make it feel rather warm out. It’s not full on summer, but it will definitely feel hot since it’s been half a year since we’ve felt heat like this. There is a chance, but only a chance, that we may see a final, weak-ish front trail into the area some time next weekend to bring us some drier air. A man can hope …

In the final days of 2023, downtown Laredo was frantic with paisanos en route to and from Mexico, buying armfuls of a variety of gifts: Dora the Explorer backpacks, textiles, perfumes, y fajas colombianas para cruzar por las aduanas. The mass of shoppers swirled by the invisible hand of global capitalism around the calm eye of the storm that took up the full city block inhabited by the Laredo Center for the Arts (LCA). As you walk in and shut the door behind you, the city’s volume quickly dials down to zero, as if you’ve been sucked into a vacuum, leaving only the serene quiet of a gallery.

The installations throughout the large space were a dreamlike microcosm of the world outside, as visitors immediately saw two life-sized model car installations by Keith Allyn Spencer, painted with soft aerosol primary colors on polytab over a wood base; it felt akin to walking into a Sims game. Towards the back of the exhibit, visitors saw symbols of consumerism with installations made of recycled bottles built into columns by Roberto Jackson Harrington, a large, suspended multimedia quilt by Mariah Ann Johnson, and a short parody commercial video by Michael Anthony Garcia, all emphasizing the role of consumerism during its busiest season of the year. 

The exhibit was the latest by Los Outsiders, the Austin-based curatorial collective of Hector Hernandez, Michael Anthony Garcia, Jaime Salvador Castillo, and Roberto Jackson Harrington. Formed in 2007 when the group met at an exhibit at the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, Los Outsiders committed to showcasing the work of underrepresented voices in the predominantly white and affluent capital city. The exhibit’s title, Chai’n Brai Laika Daimon, was a nod to one of these voices: the unique yet much-derided language of the South Texas border where Spanish and English seamlessly tag-team through everyday conversation. 

Wrapping up 2023 and kicking off 2024, Chai’n Brai Laika Daimon was a symbol of the LCA’s new direction towards a more contemporary and multifaceted experience. With bold installations, performance art, experimental videos, interactive workshops, and even augmented reality, the exhibition offered an experience unlike many before it. 

The LCA’s new direction has its roots in the pandemic years when board members like Melissa Amici-Haynes and Pedro Morales visited other galleries like Presa House in San Antonio for inspiration. That reflective period gave birth to the LCA’s Art Acquisition Project, which invested in bringing long-lost Laredo artists to exhibit back home and purchasing their art for the LCA collection. Most notably, the LCA bought Blue Bato von Sunglasses by Chicano icon Cesar Martinez, whose work was recently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The Art Acquisition Project kicked off in the fall of 2021 with Obsolescence, an exhibit by Laredo artist Jorge Javier Lopez. Since that time, the LCA has invested in consistent large exhibits that rotate quarterly, in addition to smaller shows on the second mezzanine level that houses the LCA’s growing permanent collection of local artists’ work. This approach is geared towards securing new sources of funding through grants from organizations like the Mellon Foundation, with the ultimate goal of establishing Laredo’s first contemporary art museum. 

LCA’s investments in regular comprehensive exhibits have occasionally undercut its longtime reliance on rentals to outside groups. This resulted in differences of opinion as to how to move the organization forward with a cash-strapped budget, which ultimately led to dramatic changes to the board and the LCA’s leadership and staff in late 2023, following Eric Avery’s exhibition Art as Medicine. The show included what some might consider provocative sexual imagery, like large nipple installations that popped out of the walls. According to longtime members of the LCA, this would have been deemed inappropriate for more conservative leadership within the LCA’s past, and helped foster a new approach as to how the center works with artists, an approach that former executive director Rosie Santos strongly advocated for. 

While a reconstituted LCA staff works overtime to keep the organization afloat, one unmistakable change is a more artist-heavy board. Rasquache artist Gil Rocha recently assumed the role of Interim President, complemented by an all-artist staff that gives visitors a sense of the new blood as they enter the space. The staff includes Interim Executive Director Bruno Rendon, who enthusiastically gives visitors a personalized tour of the space and the various new initiatives that are taking the LCA beyond a mere gallery space. 

“When these changes happened with the Center, there was a lot of uncertainty,” said Rendon, “but the only certainty that I knew was that we need to continue to have people coming to the center. The show must go on.”

One of Rendon’s most recent initiatives is Art Couch, a side exhibit that allows visitors to divert from the main exhibits, take a seat, and reflect on local artists. In contrast to the main exhibits that typically highlight more established artists, Art Couch often features artists who have never exhibited before. The project began in August of 2023 with photographer Gabriel Velasco, a member of the Laredo Film Society, which is housed in one of the LCA’s suites. Art Couch has since rotated new artists monthly. A recent installation featured the cross-border photography of Pepe Garcia, which was on view through the end of March. 

Rendon also runs the Community Art Gallery, which recently showed works from a watercolor workshop by Los Outsiders that was inspired by the work of Mariah Anne Johnson. “The workshop we did with Los Outsiders was a hit,” said Melissa Amici-Haynes. “We had to schedule another workshop because of the demand.”

That high community demand was reflected at the show’s opening, where Los Outsiders’ Hernandez was initially concerned about how one of the performances would be received. “We had a performance by Julia Wallace from Houston. It was going to involve a Ouija board and get the audience involved. I was like, ‘I don’t know if Laredo is ready for that.’ But we asked, and Gil said, ‘You know something, sometimes we just gotta go and see what happens.’ It had a great response, and everybody thought it was really interesting because she involved the audience. And that was just a way to bring them and make them feel that this exhibition and art is for you,” Hernandez said. 

* * *

At a recent art walk at the Canopy Complex in Austin, I was struck by how often I ran into signs of my hometown. Walking into Ivester Contemporary, my eyes quickly met the unmistakable animated works of Josias Figueirido, who had just exhibited with Julio Obscura at the LCA for its fall quarterly exhibit, Dreaming at the Border, which incorporated interactive augmented reality with a virtual reality headset and a cellphone app that visitors could use to explore hidden realms behind the exhibit. A large painting by Jasmine Zelaya stood tall to the left and was part of the same series of abstract female faces that looked at you at the Los Outsiders exhibit. As we discussed Laredo and its artists, owner Kevin Ivester mentioned his gallery’s display of work by Juan Dios de Mora, a Laredo printmaker who has previously exhibited at the LCA. 

Laredo has long bred artistic talent that has radiated to the outside world, as shown by the far-flung work of iconic Laredo artists like Cesar Martinez and Amado Peña. As a native Laredoan, I can say with certainty that we are often conditioned to feel “unworthy” and marginalized because we live in what some might consider an inferior place that’s “in-between” and perpetually in the shadows of bigger city centers like San Antonio and Austin, and the even larger metropolis of Monterrey, Mexico only a few hours south. We have often relied on these places for a sense of culture and identity, but for the first time, it seems like our light is reflecting back as outside curators and artists give the city a closer look. The LCA’s recent exhibits show that Laredo is a creative force unto its own, with its artists imagining new and different realms that break free from the dominant border story defined by refugees in despair. 

The LCA’s current two-part exhibition featuring Cruz and Olivia Ortiz embodies this more complex and nuanced view of the border. Cruz rejects the dominant idea of a “border,” as shown by his social media description of his festive oil painting El corrido de cuando when we partied in Laredo: “Not as the line between masses but the gap as a cosmic center. Rejecting la frontera as a peripheral existence and announcing fronterizmo as a series of mega-epicenteres, como fluid-filled pulsating muddy earthen vertebrae sprouting with plantas and river animalitos.”

In the upstairs mezzanine, Olivia’s exhibit Cosmic Lines; From There to Here further transcends the constraints of a physical border. Her abstract paintings focus more on emotional and personal borders, particularly those that constrain women into traditional societal roles. Her large abstract oil painting The Center of Attraction, which radiates pastels and charcoals that she describes as a “lyrical dance on canvas,” is an allusion to Octavio Paz’s essay “Máscaras Mexicanas,” which critiques how Mexican women are placed in the difficult position of serving as both pillars of society charged with preserving the culture, but also as passive sexual objects. 

In line with the LCA’s new programming, Cruz and Olivia contributed their own workshops and performances. On March 23, Cruz collaborated with the No Border Wall Coalition on a printmaking workshop; Olivia held a lyrical dance performance against the backdrop of her paintings. 

The interest of outside curators and artists comes at a critical and exciting time for Laredo, allowing the thriving grassroots artistic movement here to benefit from a more inclusive curatorial approach from outside. According to Los Outsiders’ Hernandez, this emerging symbiosis between forces within and without would not be possible without the time and investment from organizations like the LCA. Hernandez notes that the LCA, spearheaded by Gil Rocha, was instrumental in putting the 12-artist exhibit together over a yearlong period. In contrast to past approaches where there was limited support for outside artists, the LCA helped with a variety of logistical issues, including shipping and installation, as well as working with its longtime sponsor La Posada Hotel to house visiting artists. 

In January, Los Outsiders pitched an idea to rent a large van to take a group of collectors and curators from Central Texas down to Laredo. The LCA was fully on board. 

“That’s another example of the LCA really stepping up,” Hernandez said. 

Cruz and Olivia echoed similar thoughts about their experience with the ongoing exhibit. One of the nicest touches coordinated by the LCA was the live mariachi band on the exhibits’ opening night, which turned Cruz’s festive works into living corridos. 

With 2024 full of excitement and uncertainty, the LCA will spend another year forging its identity as a unique artistic space that is not quite a museum, not quite a gallery, and not quite an event center. Instead, it is more like an blank canvas.

 

Cruz Ortiz and Olivia Ortiz’s exhibitions are on view at the Laredo Center for the Arts through May 3, 2024.

The post A New Dawn at the Laredo Center for the Arts after a Recent Shakeup appeared first on Glasstire.

Claude van Lingen, the Austin-based artist known for his long-term projects exploring time and color, died in March at the age of 93.

Mr. van Lingen was born in Vereeniging, South Africa in 1931, where he and his brother were raised by a single mother until they enrolled in a regional boarding school. He was encouraged to pursue creative endeavors by his mother and was an active draftsman from a young age, a pursuit that eventually became his professional passion. 

Mr. van Lingen studied at the Johannesburg College of Art and was awarded a National Teacher’s Diploma in Art in 1952. He taught high school for more than a decade until he was named Chairman of the Teacher Training Department at the Johannesburg College of Art, and was later appointed as Chairman of the Fine Art Department in 1975. Throughout that time he developed the highly successful Perceptual Studies course that led to his winning the prestigious Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Award and representing South Africa at the 1975 São Paulo Biennial. The award would have led to his representation of South Africa at the Venice Biennial, had South Africa not been banned at the time due to its policy of apartheid, which influenced Mr. van Lingen’s decision to leave South Africa and settle in New York City in 1978. 

During his time in New York, Mr. van Lingen taught at Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts and was employed by Scholastic off and on for several years. He exhibited regularly in both solo and group exhibitions, including the prestigious John Weber Gallery in 1991, and was represented by the Vera Engelhorn Gallery in the 1990s. While in New York, Mr. van Lingen began exploring the theme of time, and developed his project 1000 Years From Now in the 1980s. The idea had various incarnations in the decades to follow and was greatly impacted by the World Trade Center attacks, an event Mr. van Lingen witnessed. 

He traveled widely with his partner Germaine Keller, and together they settled in Austin in 2005. There, Mr. van Lingen became a beloved fixture in the arts community, as an artist, a mentor, and a friend. He exhibited regularly in the area, most notably at Co-Lab Projects, where he befriended director and founder Sean Gaulager, who continues to foster the legacy of his 1000 Years From Now paintings and curated Mr. van Lingen’s final solo exhibition on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. His work is included in international institutional collections, and while his professional accolades span decades, his personal connection to the artist community in which he participated will remain a cornerstone of his legacy. 

Mr. van Lingen volunteered at most institutions in the city of Austin, was awarded Artist of the Year by the Austin Chronicle (2014) , continued to attend exhibition openings only weeks before his passing, and painted even when his faculties of dexterity began to wane. His presence was a strong yet gentle one, and his loss leaves a chasm within the Austin arts community. 

Mr. van Lingen taught us metaphorical mountains of information which remain within us in perpetuity. We are lucky to have had such a figure in our community, and are grateful to both Claude and his family who shared his time with us, even to the very end.

Mr. van Lingen died on March 30, 2024 at 6:53 a.m. He is survived by his children, Etienne van Lingen and Rietta McKnight, and numerous grandchildren.

Memorial information is forthcoming and will be announced by Co-Lab Projects. 

The post Claude van Lingen, 1931 – 2024 appeared first on Glasstire.

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. A conversation about kittens led to a lecture from HR

Yesterday I was called into a meeting with HR where I was reprimanded for an inappropriate sexual comment that I made. I did make the comment, it was absolutely inappropriate, and I am mortified! I apologised to Joan, the coworker who raised it with HR, and I will make sure nothing like that ever comes out of my mouth again.

There was some context for the comment that Joan didn’t share with HR, and neither did I because I was too ashamed to say much. Another coworker, Beth, saw the whole interaction and thinks I should provide the context to HR now, and she has offered to verify what happened. I don’t think I should because it doesn’t unmake the comment, I don’t want to come across as blaming Joan, and I got the impression that HR considers the matter closed.

Here’s the context: it is well-known in the office that my partner and I foster kittens until they’re old enough to be spayed/neutered and adopted. Coworkers sometimes ask about the cats as break room small talk. Yesterday, Beth and I were sitting at the table having lunch and chatting, when Joan walked in to make coffee.

Beth: How many kittens do you have at the moment?
Me: Four little bottle-fed ones
Beth: Oh, so tiny! What have you named them?
Joan: I hate cats.
Me: Oh … we can talk about something else?
Joan: Cats are a menace and kittens should be drowned, not bottle fed.
Beth and me: …
Joan: Cats are disgusting, they walk over every surface to make sure everything is covered in their urine and feces germs. If you live with a cat, you’re basically walking around covered in urine and feces.
Beth and me: …
Joan: And they come and rub their face all over you after they’ve spent the whole day licking their own anuses.
Me: I mean, humans lick other people’s anuses, at least cats mostly lick their own.

Joan walked out of the kitchen and the next thing I know, HR is telling me I can’t make jokes about anal sex in the break room. What Joan said wasn’t okay either, but I wish I’d just continued to sit there in stunned silence. I think I should just mentally file her comments away under Joan being rude, as they’re not HR-worthy. But do you think I should give this context to HR so maybe they don’t think I brought it up out of nowhere? Or just let it go, learn from it, and try to move on?

Well … if we had a time machine, I’d want you to explain it in the initial conversation with HR — not as “so therefore my comment was OK,” but to explain that you didn’t just pop out with a analingus comment out of nowhere (in fact, Joan introduced the concept) and that Joan herself had opened with an alarming non sequitur advocating animal abuse, and if we’re reminding people of what is and isn’t okay to say in an office, perhaps there’s one more topic here that should be addressed.

But now, after the fact … well, I don’t think you have to go back and correct the record. They’ve probably moved on and don’t think it’s a huge deal. But it would also be fine if you wanted to go back and say, “I was too mortified in the moment to share this, but I did want to give you further context so you understand that I didn’t just make a sexual reference out of the blue, which I would not do.”

2. How to politely not compliment weight loss

I saw your answer to “Coworkers want to ask about my weight loss” and wondered from the other side — is it impolite of me to not mention a coworker’s weight change?

I am uncomfortable discussing weight and body size with most people (not just a work thing!) and would rather skip the topic if I notice weight change. But if everyone else is complimentary about it, does it look impolite for me to not mention it?

No, it’s not impolite not to mention someone’s weight loss. There are people who are excited about losing weight and hope people will notice it — but there are also a lot of people who don’t want to talk about it, especially at work, and/or who aren’t happy about the weight change (particularly if it’s from illness or other not-pleasant circumstances), and their right not to feel their bodies are being assessed at work trumps the first group’s pleasure in hearing compliments. Sometimes you might know that a particular person falls in the first group (because you’re close enough to them to know, or they’ve clearly indicated it) and that would change the calculation — although even then, if you prefer not to talk about other people’s bodies, it’s not impolite to opt out!

In general, when in doubt, err on the side of not making people feel like their bodies are being scrutinized at work.

3. Are sleeveless blouses “tank tops”?

Our company recently sent an email “reiterating” our dress code (business casual), scare quotes on account of they slipped in some language that definitely was not there before: specifically, a ban on tank tops. In the “allowed” column, for shirts, it only mentions “short and long sleeved shirts/blouses.” I’m wondering if, as communicated, you would consider sleeveless blouses to be in compliance, or if I would be better off steering clear of anything that shows my shoulders.

I’ve attached an example of what I mean by sleeveless blouse. I have enough shirts like this in my rotation that I honestly am wondering if I’m what triggered this email, though in my opinion this cut is perfectly professional!?

Nah, those are sleeveless blouses. Tank tops have straps.

If you want to be sure, you can always ask them to clarify that; send a photo like the one you sent me. But sleeveless blouses are a common businesswear item, and they’re typically considered much more professional than tank tops, which read more casual. (Whether or not this makes sense is a different question, but lots of fashion rules have evolved in ways that don’t make sense. See also: skirts vs. shorts.)

4. Does my employer need to raise my salary if I’m not using their health insurance?

I work for a super small nonprofit that only started offering health insurance as a benefit a few years ago, where my employer covers half my health insurance as a benefit and the other half is taken out of my salary pre-tax. My husband is getting a new job with great benefits that will allow me to also be covered for way less than I’m currently paying, so we plan to switch as soon as he’s eligible.

My husband believes that, once we switch, my employer should automatically increase my salary to include the half of the health insurance they were paying, since that won’t be an expense for them anymore. While I think that would be nice, I don’t believe they have any legal obligation to do so, and am worried I would risk some political capital there if I brought it up. Are they under a legal obligation to increase my salary the amount they were paying for my health insurance?

No, they have no legal obligation to do that. Some employers have a policy of offering it anyway, but a lot don’t. You can ask though!

5. Handling multiple company name changes on a resume

I’ve been working at the same company since getting my degree six years ago, and I’m thinking it’s time to move on. However, the company has undergone two name changes since I was hired, and I’m not sure how to handle that on my resume. For example, when I was hired, the company was called Llama Shearing Systems. Then a few years ago we were bought by a larger company, Big Wool, and became Big Wool Llama Division. Now our parent company is rebranding and changing its name to Wool International, making where I’m working Wool International Llamas.

Do I list each name individually with the dates I worked during those particular name changes? Or do I write something like “Wool International Llamas (formerly Big Wool Llama Division, formerly Llama Shearing Systems)”?

Also, since this was my first job out of college, all of my references will likely be managers from various times during my employment at this company. Do I need to specify what name my company had at the time my reference was managing me?

You don’t need to list each name individually with the dates you worked under that name. Just use one name heading for the company and make it this:

Wool International Llamas (formerly Big Wool Llama Division and Llama Shearing Systems)

You also don’t need to specify which name the company had at the time your references were managing you, although you can. If a manager only managed you under Big Wool Llama Division, then list their affiliation as Big Wool Llama Division. But if they managed you through numerous name changes, just list the most recent name.

WASHINGTON—Speaking slowly in an effort to draw out his remarks during a televised address, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reportedly distracted the U.S. populace with a speech Thursday while his department stole the nation’s catalytic converters to sell on the black market. According to insiders, Buttigieg’s…

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This modest two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath starter home is not for sale. Please stop knocking on our door and asking to buy it.

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A man from Idaho was arrested for allegedly kicking a bison, which subsequently injured him, at Yellowstone National Park while drunk, for which he now faces charges of disorderly conduct while under the influence and disturbing wildlife. What do you think?

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AUSTIN, TX—In the latest round of layoffs for the company’s struggling automotive division, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla fired the entire team behind brakes, sources confirmed Wednesday. “As we continue to rightsize the Tesla workforce, we have come to the decision that stopping the car is no longer a critical…

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This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

Here are three updates from past letter-writers.

1. Convention center will not turn down the music (#3 at the link)

I’m the guy who wrote about how, ever since the convention center my organization meets at was purchased by a chain, they blast loud music throughout the venue 24/7.

First of all, I was tickled by how many people were amused when I mentioned in the comments that we were a group of librarians. Secondly, we had our yearly meeting this spring at the same location. The music was turned way down and limited to the bars/common areas. I didn’t even notice it most of the time. However, on the last day when we were wrapping up, I noticed that the volume had cranked up again. Perhaps enough people groused last year that they turned it down just for us. That, or the management was terrified of being shushed by nearly a thousand stern librarians.

Another interesting thing: Due to the gender balance in librarianship, the convention center temporarily turns the main floor men’s bathroom into a women’s room, and us ‘guybrarians’ have to use another floor. I was wondering if any other career has such a gender imbalance that the restrooms reflect that.

2. My coworker said his boss kneed him in the groin

I don’t know how to start this update, to be honest, but I’ll give it my best go, regarding the knee-in-groin situation between Fergus, Jane, and Marshall.

My partner did go to HR, though it took some time to actually get ahold of anyone. That ended up being a very surprising conversation, because here’s the twist: HR had already investigated the situation when it happened… Last year! The whole shebang took place before my partner was ever hired! So Fergus may or may not have been lying about the incident (that’s still up for debate, although Jane and Marshall’s continued employment is a pretty big tell in my opinion), but he sure was playing fast and loose with the timeline.

As of right now, Fergus is on leave again, for the next two weeks. The scuttlebutt is that Jane is planning to revoke his access to the property completely, deactivating his passcodes, taking him off the schedule, and telling other security to let her know immediately if he’s seen there. My partner and I aren’t exactly sure if he’s outright fired or not, but it does sound like he’ll be enjoying his leave for longer than he expected.

3. Applying to a company where I previously withdrew from a hiring process (#5 at the link)

First of all, the comments were lovably unhinged that day (Diet Coke-Gate and feet pics trump my mild question). I really appreciated your advice!

It was mostly a non-issue. I addressed it in a matter-of-fact manner and we moved on. Short update is that I got the job!

Long answer: it turns out that I wasn’t the best fit for this exact role but the hiring manager slotted me in to interview for a position that hadn’t even been posted. I did a couple of rounds with them and got hugely positive feedback. They fast-tracked me through!

Coming from a slow, very bureaucratic industry (you can probably guess), this felt special! Downside, of course, is that they were fast tracking for a reason and it meant my fantasy life of a full week off between jobs won’t happen.

The negotiation phase was stressful — they came in lower than I would’ve liked — but worth it. Phew! Looking forward to the future.

I read the site daily and am so tickled you featured me!

The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to approve a rescheduling of marijuana, which is currently categorized with Schedule I drugs such as LSD and heroin, to Schedule III alongside Tylenol and steroids, which would allow it to be purchased nationwide. What do you think?

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THAT’S CHUUUUBE!

In brief: The overall forecast looks more ominous, with atmospheric conditions favoring another round of strong showers and thunderstorms later today and tonight in the Houston region. We are instituting a Stage 1 flood alert for the entire area, and may possibly upgrade that to Stage 2 for areas north of the city later today.

Wednesday

Conditions this morning will be fairly calm, with only a smattering of light showers across the region. Highs today will reach the mid-80s, with mostly cloudy skies. Winds from the southeast will be a little higher, at about 10 mph, with gusts to 20 mph.

However, our confidence is increasing in another bout of fairly strong showers and thunderstorms later today or tonight. These storms will likely fire up late this morning, or during the early afternoon to the west of Houston and then move through this evening or during the overnight hours. I want to stress there is a fair amount of uncertainty in the timing and location of these storms, which will bring the potential of damaging winds and heavy rain. Given this uncertainty, we will likely post an update this afternoon to the website.

At this time the greatest threat of heavy rainfall lies to the north of Interstate 10. However, some of the latest modeling and data point to a more widespread event that could bring heavy rainfall across the Houston metro area down to the coast. Regardless, I’m concerned about the potential for additional flooding along the East Fork of the San Jacinto River, which has already reached a major flood stage due to heavy rainfall earlier this week north of Houston.

In terms of rainfall accumulations, our model guidance is not at all consistent. Much of the area is likely to see an additional 1 to 3 inches of rainfall, but given the increasingly favorable setup for heavy rain I could see some locations picking up as much as 5 inches or more of rainfall tonight into Thursday morning. For now we are issuing a Stage 1 flood alert, which means nuisance street flooding mostly, for the entire Houston area. We may modify this later today.

Thursday

Rain chances will start to diminish during the morning hours on Thursday, but we’re likely to see some additional scattered showers throughout the day. Skies will again be mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-80s. Lows Thursday night will be in the 70s—so fairly muggy and warm.

Friday

This will be another mostly cloudy day, with highs in the mid-80s and a chance of scattered showers and possibly a few thunderstorms. Rain chances should end at some point on Friday.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend looks partly sunny and a bit warmer, with highs in the mid- to upper-80s depending on the extent of sunshine. Winds will be from the south-southeast, gusting up to 20 or 25 mph so there should be a breeze all weekend. With low to non-existent rain chances, the region will get a chance to dry out.

Next week

No changes in the forecast for next week as high pressure settles in. We can expect warmer weather, with highs likely reaching 90 degrees by Tuesday or Wednesday. The rest of the week looks warm and muggy with low rain chances. I’m hopeful that a weak front may arrive in time to cool us down slightly by next weekend, but that is something I certainly would not bet on.

CANTON, OH—Responding with the excitement of someone who appeared to genuinely believe they were some kind of outlier, local white person Hannah Michaels seemed way too proud that she was using WhatsApp, sources reported Wednesday. “Oh my gosh, of course I use WhatsApp—I’ve actually had it for years, since I studied…

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 people across the U.S. have been sickened by counterfeit Botox, with patients presenting botulism-like symptoms, a potentially fatal illness in which the toxin attacks the body’s nerves. What do you think?

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LOS ANGELES—Sharing horrifying and riveting tales with friends who did not grow up in the Midwest, local 29-year-old Iris Pearson fondly recalled a beloved grade school tradition called “Slave Days” this week, according to sources. “Oh, man, Slave Days were the best part of fifth grade–I think at one point I had over…

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WASHINGTON—Calling the theft a profound wake-up call amid a nationwide epidemic of drug abuse, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to address the opioid crisis Wednesday after their addict cousin Clem stole their Xbox Series X. “Today, we stand up and say enough is enough to our fentanyl-abusing shitheel of a…

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NEW YORK—Interrupting testimony as they walked straight up to the former president mid-trial, the Trump boys baked a cake for their father with a gavel hidden inside, court room sources confirmed Wednesday. “We think you’ll find this cake very yummy and full of law hammers,” Donald Trump, Jr. said with a wink as his…

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