Cowboy Who?

Within the numerous states and cities across the South, abortion access and reproductive rights are increasingly restricted, if not completely banned following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Maternal mortality rates continue to rise in the South as restrictions prevail. And as the 2024 US presidential election draws closer, reproductive freedom has taken center stage amidst our harsh political climate.

In Texas — home to some of the most draconian reproductive laws in the country — two Dallas-based curators launch the first exhibition organized and mounted in the American South that directly addresses abortion access and reproductive rights. Emily Edwards, Associate Curator at the Dallas Contemporary, and Sara Hignite, independent curator and founder of Hignite Projects, present Is It Real? Contemporary Artists Address Reproductive Freedom, an exhibition centered around artists connected to the Southern states, a majority of whom represent marginalized communities, fighting against the collapse of reproductive rights in America. 

I know what you’re thinking. A reproductive rights exhibition…in Dallas? There was one main question on my mind: is it real? The answer: hell yeah.

The exhibition takes its title from Juanita McNeely’s 1969 painting, Is it Real? Yes It Is!, which depicts her illegal abortion experience. The multi-panel painting expresses the physical and emotional turmoil of her situation. Now — 55 years later — these experiences and issues are still just as real and relevant as access to safe reproductive care diminishes.

Is It Real? showcases 30+ contemporary artists working in a variety of mediums. The first work I come across in the middle of the gallery sitting atop a white pedestal is Cynthia Mulcahy’s 2024 sculpture ​​Daddy (War Garden Series), a cigar box turned into a black enamel lacquered case with hand-marbled paper and brass and leather details. Instead of cigars, the case holds glass vials filled with tansy, pennyroyal, angelica, and sage, which are all-natural abortifacients (abortion-inducing substances). Instead of labels, the vials bear portraits of historical “fathers:” Aristophanes (the Father of Comedy), Carl Linnaeus (the Father of Taxonomy), Benjamin Franklin (a Founding Father), and Pope John XXI (the Holy Father). Each man officially published advice in his time on how to avoid pregnancy or terminate a pregnancy using various plants, which underscores the normalization of abortion throughout most of Western history.

As I look to my right, a vibrant turquoise sculpture catches my eye — Lydia Nobles’s DeZ’ah from her ongoing series As I Sit Waiting. Nobles gathers personal narratives surrounding the challenges of accessing abortion care and creates large-scale, abstract sculptures in response to each individual narrative. Her monuments, designed to evoke the waiting room chairs in abortion clinics, personify each individual she interviews, highlighting their personal journey. DeZ’ah was inspired by the story of a woman named DeZ’ah who sought an abortion in Georgia in 2020.

Although the show addresses one of the front-facing issues within reproductive rights — abortion access — it also confronts a plethora of other contemporary reproductive care issues.

Elliot Doughtie and Madeline Donahue explore the intersections of danger, fear, and intimate experiences often had within a bathroom. Doughtie’s ceramic tiles adorned with fox fangs probe into their many contradicting experiences often had within that space as a trans person. Meanwhile, Donahue scatters her ceramic pregnancy tests around a bathroom sink and trash can, nodding to the domestic space where many individuals first learn of their pregnancy, and also touching on ideas of disposability. As you gaze into the mirror hanging over the sink, the viewer takes the place of the person taking the test and is confronted with many conflicting feelings that may arise in that situation.

The exhibition includes three pieces from Katrina Majkut’s series In Control, which utilizes cross-stitch to explore the intricate relationship between autonomy and reproductive rights. In Control confronts the realities of women and nonbinary individuals living with a uterus today, challenging the oversimplified “pro-life” versus “pro-choice” dichotomy and highlighting the precarious nature of bodily autonomy. 

Similarly, Erin M. Riley employs fiber in her 2017 hand-woven tapestry titled Evidence, which depicts objects found in a sexual assault evidence collection kit — an essential but often overlooked component of the medical and legal response to sexual violence. Tapestries as a medium have historically been dismissed as “women’s work,” so Riley’s use of this medium subverts its traditional application to address a grim reality: the pervasive and everyday violence faced by women and LGBTQ individuals.

A few videos play on a loop in the back room of the gallery. One video by Elvira Michelle Castillo captures a segment of a breathwork therapy session, exploring larger ideas of intergenerational memory and trauma and how it manifests particularly in marginalized communities. Another is a non-linear video collage by Ari Brielle combining archival footage, research studies, sound, performances of rage, medical studies, and recent self-portraiture that culminates in an investigation into the commodification of the body.

Lex Marie’s Deconstructed Black Maternal Health Flag highlights the harsh realities of medical racism, inadequate healthcare, and institutional neglect, and serves as a stark reminder of the intersectionality between race and reproductive rights. By reconstructing the American flag using the familiar striped fabrics of baby hospital receiving blankets, this piece underscores the deep connection between national identity and the systemic failings that jeopardize the lives of Black mothers and their babies.

I would foremost call the exhibition brave, not just for its unapologetic confrontation of these divisive topics, but also for its overwhelming vulnerability and empathy. Is It Real? strives to challenge misinformation and structural stigmas around these topics, and shine a light on how the reproductive care crisis has and continues to manifest in marginalized communities. The conceptualization and production of Is It Real? is a fervent example of curatorial activism by Edwards and Hignite. Both curators committed themselves to uplifting many (sometimes differing) perspectives, countering erasure, and destigmatizing and humanizing reproductive care through the lens of Southern artists, whose rights are being stripped away most severely. The 30+ artists represented in Is It Real? not only educate viewers about these structural and systemic problems and their resulting consequences, they also offer resistance. 

As I exit the gallery and get into my car to drive away, I spot one final work from the exhibition that I seem to have missed when I arrived. Mounted on the roof of the gallery is Alicia Eggert’s LED neon pink sign that stands out vibrantly against the quiet Texas sunset. The sign alternates between three inseparable phrases: OUR BODIES. OUR FUTURES. OUR ABORTIONS.

Is It Real? Contemporary Artists Address Reproductive Freedom is on view at Lagoon Studio through October 26, 2024.

Emma S. Ahmad is an art historian and writer based in Dallas, TX.

The post “Is It Real? Contemporary Artists Address Reproductive Freedom” at Lagoon Studio, Dallas appeared first on Glasstire.

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

I’m off today. This was originally published in 2017.

A reader writes:

I enjoy wearing perfume, but tend to stick to indie oil scents, since the smell tends to stick closer to my skin (so, in theory, I don’t bother my coworkers) and also because I seem to be sensitive to the alcohol that a lot of spray perfumes use. I also tend to use unscented deodorant and laundry detergent; I really dislike how “chemical-y” scented products like this tend to be.

About a month ago, one of my coworkers told me that the perfume I was wearing bothered her. I work closely with her, so I immediately apologized and washed it off, and haven’t worn any of my perfume since. I don’t have a huge wardrobe, so most if not all of my office-appropriate clothes have been washed since then, so I’m pretty sure that there are no lingering traces hanging on.

My problem is that this coworker is now complaining constantly about the perfume I’m not wearing! She even went to my manager, who pulled me aside and asked me about things like deodorant and bath products. I’ve tried to explain to my coworker that basically nothing I use is scented anymore, but she makes exaggerated sniffing noises and says things like, “Oh, patchouli AGAIN?” when I get near her. (Again, I am not wearing ANY perfume, my deodorant is unscented, I shower every morning and my body wash is lightly lemon scented and doesn’t stick around.) It’s reached the point where it feels like juvenile bullying and I honestly don’t know what to do.

Do four things:

1. Stop using the lemon-scented body wash for a few days and see if she keeps making the comments. It’s possible that it’s lingering in a way that you don’t realize. And if the comments don’t stop, then you can legitimately say that you have cut out all scented products and it hasn’t changed anything.

2. Say this to the coworker: “Jane, since you raised this issue, I have stopped wearing any scented products to work, and I have washed all of my work clothes in unscented laundry detergent. There shouldn’t be any fragrances lingering around. I can’t think of anything else that I can do. Is there something else you’re hoping I’ll try? If not, I need you to stop commenting about something that I can’t do anything about. At this point, it feels like I’m being harassed for fragrances that I’m not wearing and I want you to stop.”

You could also say, “If you’re suffering from fragrance sensitivity, you should talk to (manager) or HR about what accommodations they can offer. But I need you to stop the constant comments about me.”

3. Say this to your boss: “Ever since Jane mentioned a month ago that a perfume I was wearing bothered her, I’ve made a big effort to ensure I’m not wearing anything scented around her. I’ve stopped wearing perfume, have switched to unscented deodorant, and I wash my clothes in unscented detergent. And of course I shower daily. Yet every time she’s near me she complains about the fragrances she says I’m wearing. I’m not, and I’ve told her I’m not. I’m not sure what else I can do. I’ve asked her to stop, and I’d like to ask you to intervene if it continues, because it’s becoming disruptive, and frankly at this point her continued complaints are starting to feel like harassment.”

(To be clear, this doesn’t sound like harassment in the legal sense — that would need to be based on race, sex, religion, or another protected characteristic — but it’s certainly harassing in the colloquial sense.)

4. If your coworker continues the comments after these conversations, then at that point, say this: “Clearly this isn’t something we can resolve on our own. Should we go talk to (manager) or HR together and resolve this once and for all?”

And then do that, because it’s reasonable for you not to want to be subjected to this. Even if she has legitimate fragrance sensitivities — and some people do, although it’s not clear if that’s really what’s going on with her or not — this isn’t the way for her to handle it.

2017 note to commenters: There have been loads of suggestions below for additional ways the letter-writer could tackle potential scents and stamp them out. I’m going to ask that we stop with those suggestions now and instead focus on how she should deal with the coworker, which I think will be more helpful to her. At this point, the issue is that she has a coworker who’s being rude and snarky to her, not that she should just stop using bubble bath on weekends or so forth.

2024 note to readers: You’ll want to read the update to this one.

The 2024 presidential election is on track to be the most expensive race in U.S. history. The Onion takes a look at the key facts and figures behind the spending. 

3: People wealthy enough to just straight-up decide election

$2.5 million: Cost of poll showing rural voters leaning red

14: Homeless people that could be provided with their very own F-22 Raptor fighter jet instead

23: Local TV stations living high on the hog right now

18 months: Age at which a PAC fully matures into Super PAC

$7,000: Daily rate for voice actor who can say “inflation” in really scary way

$17: Total campaign spending in Wyoming

$112: Tim Walz’s first pair of dress shoes

3%: Cash back in campaign spending you can earn with the Campaign Premiere Mastercard

12: Items remaining on Harris’s Amazon wishlist

2: Undecided voters that won’t know until another billion spent

The post 2024 Election Spending By The Numbers appeared first on The Onion.

Pop star Taylor Swift donated $5 million to Feeding America to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the contribution helping to provide essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms. What do you think?

The post Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million To Hurricane Relief Efforts appeared first on The Onion.

The post Mayor Explains Why He Changed City Named After Slave-Owning Founder To Salami Town appeared first on The Onion.

I had a dream that I managed to get in on the scam to sell fake Alamo artifacts to Phil Collins. Weird.

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

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

1. We’re supposed to say grace at the start of team meals

I work in government. Fairly new to job, first time in government. Been in private sector and higher education before this. Every time my department has a group meal, they say grace. Led by either the director of the department or the staff member who is also a pastor. This is weird, right? I’m an atheist. We have at least one other on staff who practices a religion other than Christianity. In nearly any workplace this would be weird, but again, I work for THE GOVERNMENT, which makes it even more uncomfortable. Having group staff grace where it’s expected everyone is just fine with this is not inclusive, not considerate, and seems highly problematic. If you personally want to say grace over your meal, have at it! But the expectation of everyone participating or acquiescing and it being led by the director?

If I were to report this to HR or even our EEO, I know it’d get traced back to me for pretty obvious reasons (I am definitely the odd one out in the office on any number of things), and I can imagine it becoming something people will “jokingly” comment on … which again, isn’t a welcoming work environment. I don’t know what to do, or if I should do anything, but every time it happens I continue to just think “WTF.”

Yes, this is weird and inappropriate. It’s also not terribly uncommon in some parts of the U.S. Any chance you’re in the south? Surprisingly, it’s not illegal even though this is a government employer; government meetings are permitted to include prayer as long as they don’t force anyone’s participation in it (Supreme Court, Town of Greece v. Galloway, 2014).

Whether or not to say anything is really a personal decision; you need to weigh any likely blow-back and how much you care about that against how much it bothers you, especially as a new person.

If the director and/or pastor seem like decent people, you might have better luck talking with them privately rather than complaining to HR (since it’s not illegal) and asking them to reconsider the practice. A lot of people don’t realize grace isn’t some sort of non-denominational religious practice and think of it as almost secular in nature; it’s possible that by explaining that it’s not, you could get some traction (and even more so if you’re joined by any other coworkers who feel similarly).

Related:
I’m a public employee and the governor pushes religion at work

2. Is it unethical to automate people’s jobs away?

I’ve recently been lucky enough to snag the kind of job I’ve been looking for over months — relatively stable part-time data science work, which is very rare. Currently this is a side hustle, but eventually this could allow me to quit my full-time job and stay at home with my kids more. I am also going to learn a lot on the project that I’ve been assigned to and pick up some very desirable skills.

Here’s the problem. I am certain that the AI project I’m working on will eventually lead to other part-time workers losing their jobs, or at the very least reducing their hours. I am positive that the work people are doing by hand can be done really well by AI, and I’ve been hired to implement it. My project manager isn’t so sure — she said it’s a boring task and that whole “I want AI to do the dishes and not make art” tagline I’ve seen on social media — but she’s older and I worry she’s naive about the impact this can have. But maybe I’m younger and naive about the speed of change in public sector contracting.

I am a religious person, and the idea that I may be taking away part of people’s livelihoods is haunting me. But this work absolutely will be done by somebody eventually, and for me it’s my dream job. Is it unethical to do this kind of work?

I can’t answer that without more details about exactly what you’re going to be working on. But ultimately it doesn’t matter what I think about it anyway; it matters what you think. From the oil and gas industry to law enforcement to lobbying and on and on, people have all kinds of jobs that someone else might not feel ethically comfortable with, and many of our actions (both at work and not) unavoidably leave footprints in the world that we might prefer not be there. At the same time, many types of progress that we generally feel good about mean that some types of jobs are left behind as things evolve. (We don’t have knocker-uppers tapping at windows anymore either, although most of us consider alarm clocks an improvement.) But we all draw our lines in different places. You need to figure out where your lines are and what you will and won’t feel good about. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but it’s really so, so individual.

All that said, though, I’m not sure your project manager’s response quite gets at your concerns. Just because it’s a boring task doesn’t mean that people won’t suffer if they’re displaced from it.

3. How can I find out if my vacation time will be paid out when I leave?

My question is about how to give notice when it’s unclear whether banked PTO will be paid out—and there’s no way of finding that out without giving up the game.

My company is very small (nine employees) and does not conform to a conventional (or, really, any) organizational structure. HR is handled by one of our two owners, and by “HR” I mean stuff like dealing with benefits, payroll, and resources. I have virtually no contact with this guy, so it would be highly irregular for me to ask him anything — and all but an admission that I am looking to skedaddle if I asked about a possible PTO payout. There’s no other person I can ask who (A) would know the answer and/or (B) I can trust. (My state does not require vacation payout, so it’s up to individual companies.)

Normally, I’d not sweat this issue: I’d just give my two weeks and either be pleased that I got a payout or bummed that I didn’t. But — malcontent alert! — I am one of three employees who are still on board after launching this company as a startup 11 years ago, and in that time I’ve had ZERO raises despite the fact that the company has been increasingly profitable. Add to that some other cultural/role issues, and my inclination to be charitable here is … right in line with my raises. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable giving two weeks’ notice, learning that I was not going to get a payout, and then just cashing in (some of) my banked time to serve out those weeks. But I’m not sure I wouldn’t. Do you see some option or alternative I’ve overlooked?

Any chance you’re in touch with anyone who’s left who could tell you how it was handled for them? With such a small company, that might not be an option — but that’s one thing to check if you can.

Otherwise, I’d be inclined to simply ask when you resign whether vacation time is paid out. It they say it’s not, you can say, “Ideally I’d like to set my final day for November 6 (or whatever) but if that means I’ll lose all the vacation time I’ve accrued, I’ll need to take it before I leave since it’s part of my compensation.” Do be aware that some companies have policies against taking vacation time during your notice period (especially a big chunk of it as opposed to a day or two) so it’s possible that could become a point of contention — but it’s a reasonable stance to take, and you can try negotiating from there.

4. Am I cheap for seeking mileage reimbursement for business dinner travel?

I’m wondering about mileage reimbursement. Maybe six or so times a year, I have to drive about 60 miles round-trip for business dinners. These aren’t client meetings, but meetings for my professional organization city group. Very much a networking thing on behalf of my firm. I always put in for mileage reimbursement, and my firm gives it to me without questioning, but I’m wondering if this is a “cheap” thing of me to do. Is the mileage cost something that I should just eat?

Nope, you should continue submitting for it. It’s a business expense, not a personal one, and it’s not cheap to expect your company to cover the costs of business activities, as they’ve been doing.

In brief: Houston faces two days of record-setting heat before a nice front arrives on Tuesday night to usher drier and cooler air into the region for the rest of the week. Rain chances, unfortunately, continue to look fairly low. Also, if you have a clear view of the Western sky, we encourage you to look for a new comet near the horizon.

Houston likely to set record high

The region’s high temperature on Sunday was 94 degrees, which is one degree short of the city’s record high for October 13. Today we’re likely to be even a bit warmer, with highs in the mid- to upper-90s for much of the metro area. And the record high for today, set in 2015, is just 92 degrees. So we’re almost certain to set a record today. Tomorrow we are also likely to set a record, beating the mark of 92 degrees set in 2019. A cold front finally arrives on Tuesday night to bring us some much-needed relief.

Don’t miss a comet in the night sky

If you have a clear view of the western horizon, preferably with few lights (i.e. not looking directly toward downtown Houston), you should try and see a comet with an unwieldy name, C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, this week. To find it, look toward the western horizon within 45 minutes of sunset at twilight. A pair of binoculars should only enhance the view, so if you have some, bring them along. The comet will fade in the next two weeks, so right now is the best time to try and see it.

Monday and Tuesday

Heat continues for two more days. Both Monday and Tuesday will be sunny, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s for most locations away from the coast. This is brutal, August-like heat that is very much not normal for October (hence the record-setting temperatures). At least the dewpoints will be a little lower, so it won’t be incredibly sultry heat. Winds will be light, from the north and northwest, at 5 to 10 mph. Monday night will be warm, with lows in the upper 60s.

Wednesday

Drier air starts to move into the area by around midnight, and dewpoints will fall into the upper 30s area wide by Wednesday morning. It will feel noticeably drier, and daytime temperatures on Wednesday may be only on the 70s. Winds will be from the northeast, gusting up to 20 mph. Skies will remain sunny, as this is a dry front. Lows on Wednesday night will drop into the 50s area-wide, except for the immediate coast.

Thursday and Friday

These will be a pair of mostly sunny days, with high temperatures in the upper-70s to lower-80s, with nighttime temperatures in the upper-50s to lower 60s. So, pretty pleasant.

Saturday, Sunday, and beyond

We may start to see some clouds this weekend as a southerly flow returns. Whether that brings any meaningful rain chances is something we’ll have to wait and see, but overall the odds do not look great. Highs are likely to be in the mid-80s for much of the region, with lows in the 60s. There’s probably another front in the cards some time next week, but the details are hazy.

New comic!
Today's News:

This comic was written by Omnithea. It is about flying too close to the sun.

Start your free 30-day trial at https://brilliant.org/CodeParade/ and get 20% off the annual premium subscription.
This is Part 2, watch Part 1 first or this won't make sense: https://youtu.be/Mzgw6zMtipQ
This is a follow-up to my last video about big numbers as there have been some new larger numbers discovered that can fit into a small space, like a text message. This is likely to be the final conclusion of the series unless something larger is proven.

Nuclear Array Notation: https://codegolf.stackexchange.com/a/219466/125178

Support me and innovative projects like these!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/codeparade
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/codeparade
Merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/codeparade

4D Golf
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2147950/4D_Golf/
Devlog Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9DXIT3m6N4GygehtlHl0ukgrgPJZteI
Discord: https://discord.gg/P9taqBJKJq
Engine source code: https://github.com/HackerPoet/Engine4D

Music CC by 4.0
Jesse Spillane - An Undersea Cache of Relics
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jesse_Spillane/the-big-idea-machine/an-undersea-cache-of-relics/
Evan Schaeffer - Blink
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Evan_Schaeffer/Glow_1216/Evan_Schaeffer_-_02_-_Blink_1133/

Click here to see if you can beat our score at Geoguessr
https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/7Gnelr8N4s3LvmuB

📕 Buy the MAP MEN BOOK 'This Way Up - When Maps Go Wrong' https://lnk.to/mapmen

We donated part of our fee to two environmental charities.

UNDO, a brilliant organisation using enhanced weathering technology to fix CO2 into the soil for the long term.
https://un-do.com

TREE SISTERS, who have planted millions of trees through their community-driven, socially inclusive approach to environmental action.
https://www.treesisters.org/about

Jay Foreman https://www.twitter.com/jayforeman
Mark Cooper-Jones https://www.twitter.com/markcooperjones

VFX by Dave Brain https://www.twitter.com/Ornsack
(The only VFX was Jay’s ears growing. No special effects were used for the journeys, which were 100% real.)

00:00 Intro
01:16 Game 1 Round 1
03:32 Game 1 Round 2
05:50 Game 1 Round 3
08:41 Game 1 Round 4
11:16 Game 1 Round 5
15:00 Trip to Bermuda
15:51 Game 2 Round 1
17:53 Game 2 Round 2
19:51 Game 2 Round 3
21:30 Game 2 Round 4
24:24 Game 2 Round 5
27:05 Trip to Senegal

Thanksgiving is here. A time for families to come together, make lasting memories and try to remember what this Holiday is technically supposed to be honouring. But mostly we eat. Usually Turkey is the centerpiece of the meal, but across the country we like to indulge in a lot of different sides. Here are the […]

The post Most popular Thanksgiving Sides in every Province appeared first on The Beaverton.

TORONTO – Telecom giant Rogers announced that it would be ending the free Wifi available at Toronto Transit Commission stations at the end of the year after finding it had too many unintentional benefits to Canadians. “After a couple of risk assessments, we found that providing free internet access on the subway was helping underprivileged […]

The post Rogers ends free Wifi on the TTC after learning it betters life for Canadians appeared first on The Beaverton.

Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
I am prepared for your call Hollywood. It's time.

Today's News:

Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
That's where he pushes the robot into the sea.

Today's News:

Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
Butt-cream is in fact universal, for a sufficiently wide definition of butt.

Today's News:

See a film heralding the construction of the Astrodome.  On October 28th, you can see another Houston institution on the big screen at the River Oaks Theatre for the last scheduled Houston showing of "Runaway Radio!" - The Astrodome past and future- Our #domecoming2018 adventure!- KHOU 11's 1994 Astrodome moving April Fools' joke- Old cartoon explains Astrodome's '

A study published by University of Illinois-Chicago researchers found that advances in medical technology and genetic research are not translating into marked jumps in lifespan overall. What do you think?

The post Human Lifespan Hits Upper Limit appeared first on The Onion.

Listening to Urban Heat's cover of Goodbye Horses ... I"M NOT CRYING YOUR CRYING

https://youtu.be/Ba207vQJA7o?si=G4XoY2_svfbUq0IH

Headlines

• Leslie heading out to sea while Invest 94L may develop just west of the Cabo Verde Islands.
• We are monitoring the western Caribbean next weekend, but there is still nothing of specific significance that we can state about the potential of development, and we urge you to not fall prey to one-off model runs that show scary outcomes.
• Thank you to our Friday featured sponsor: Senior Health Services!
• The close of our post talks a bit about or mission and goal for this site, as well as what we don’t want to be!

Leslie and 94L way out in the Atlantic

We’re beginning a period of calmer conditions in the tropics. At least as it relates to land-impacts from tropical systems. Milton is now history. Leslie is still churning away in the open Atlantic but it too will soon be history.

Off the coast of Africa, we currently have Invest 94L. This looks ready to pop in the next few days. Model guidance agrees on this, and the overall environment looks decent. Steering winds should bring it west across the Atlantic.

While this is unlikely to threaten the U.S. at any point, this is at least something to monitor if you live in the Caribbean. It’s still a solid week away, but with water temperatures still sitting near all-time records in the Main Development Region (MDR) of the Atlantic, the right environment could easily incubate a strengthening storm.

That said, this would be unusually far east for a storm to develop this late in the season. Only one system has formed east of the Cabo Verde Islands since 1851 in mid-October, and only a couple others within 10 degrees of longitude west of there. If 94L forms soon, it would be an oddity. Most storms that form in the central or eastern Atlantic this late in the season tend to curve out to sea before getting to the islands, but obviously some have come close.

We’ll keep an eye on 94L and have more for you Monday.

Eyes on the Caribbean?

There was one particular GFS operational model run yesterday that sent some folks into a tizzy over the potential for a big hurricane in the Gulf in about 10 to 12 days. I want to remind you all that operational model runs like that specific GFS run are not suited to trust more than 5 to 7 days out. Even within 5 to 7 days there are often issues and miscalculations with the model. So don’t panic when you see that.

No consistency, no trustworthiness.

Most models agree in a tropical disturbance trying to form in the western Caribbean sometime later next week.

This is a century away in model terms, and there is very little agreement on where things go from here, if anywhere at all. We have a very long time to watch this area, but I would encourage you not to stress over things. A lot of moving parts will impact whether or not this develops, including cold fronts, locations of specific features, etc. Right now, we simply have nothing intelligible to really say about this other than a disturbance is possible there in a week’s time. Anyone selling anything specific at this point should be added to your “do not trust” list immediately. More on this Monday.

Friday featured sponsor: Senior Health Services

Thank you to Senior Health Services and all our sponsors for their support of The Eyewall this season!

Need help with Medicare? Is your plan changing? Senior Health Services is a full service Medicare brokerage providing free Medicare help. Millions of Americans on Medicare are seeing changes to their plans due to the Inflation Reduction Act. If your plan benefits are changing, benefits being cut, costs going higher, or even terminated altogether, we stand ready to assist. We work with Medicare Supplements, Medicare Advantage, Part D plans, and more. If you need help, it’s free! All you have to do is visit us at seniorhealthservices.com or call us at 281-894-7540. We serve most states. Did we mention it’s free? Don’t do it alone. Call us if you need help.

A final word

We have had some very spirited comments in recent posts, which have been useful and interesting conversationally! We encourage that. We just ask to keep it respectful. I don’t want to have to moderate or shut things down at any point. We trust y’all to treat each other with courtesy.

Secondly, I just want to clarify a couple misconceptions I read. We did not build this site for Houston. While we hope Houstonians will use it as a companion to the robust information we offer at Space City Weather, we built this site for everyone else, truthfully. There are a handful of good blogs out there talking about the weather, and we want to join them. I hope any of you in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, or the Carolinas will share this site with your friends and family. We try not to advertise and prefer our growth to be by word of mouth in most cases. Let our work speak for itself.

There are two primary reasons we don’t post 5 or 6 updates a day when a storm threatens someone. First, honestly, not a whole lot changes from morning to evening. Yes, a storm can rapidly intensify or change intensity but in general, that doesn’t have a massive impact on the forecast, and if it does, in most cases a second post later in the day will cover it. We live in a world with frequent, *URGENT* push alerts. We aren’t that. We don’t want to oversaturate you with repetitive stuff just so we can show we’re still on top of things and generate traffic for the sake of traffic. We want our posts to carry value and information, not regurgitation. Second, we are not local experts on Tampa or Jacksonville or Cape Hatteras or Charleston. We could never be. We know a bit, in some cases a lot about geography. But the local nuance can only be covered by local experts. That’s why at a point, we want you to find trusted local sources of information to turn to, such as your local NWS office or a particular broadcaster or online source in your region. Simply, we cannot do at scale what they do for you locally. So yes, please use us! But make sure you’ve got someone not from Houston that you’re following to give you that local insight or nuance that you need.

As always, thanks for your support, follow us on social media, and share us with your friends and family!

Facebook
Instagram
TikTok (we will occasionally cross post from Instagram there)
Twitter/X
Threads
Bluesky
Mastodon

“‘We will each write a ghost story,’ said Lord Byron; and his proposition was acceded to. There were four of us.” – Mary Shelley, in the introduction to Frankenstein.

Wow, Mary! Wow. Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. I can’t imagine anything more chilling. In fact, it’s so chilling that I think we should probably call off the rest of the storytelling contest right now. I don’t even need to take my turn.

Oh, are you sure?

Still?

Because I kind of wish I had gone first. My thing isn’t even that scary. Or about humankind. It’s just, well, did everyone else do this overnight? Because I feel like Mary Shelley may have pre-written her idea. All I’m saying is it feels pretty fleshed out already. I’m not trying to accuse anyone of anything. It’s just, I thought we were telling stories we came up with in the last twenty-four hours and not workshopping full novel ideas.

No, I didn’t dislike the story. It’s not about a ghost, so it doesn’t fit in the rules laid out by Lord Byron, but I love it! “A Modern Prometheus,” yeah, no, I get it. It’s really smart. And it makes you think about playing God and stuff, even though none of us would be able to play God that way. I know it’s a metaphor, but maybe try a more approachable idea for hubris? Just if you’re trying to pitch this later. I don’t even know that many people who have electricity, so it’s like, who’s going to get the message? Half the people who read this will just want the monster to wave his hands at fire or something.

Oh, wait! Does anyone else remember the four of us talking about that doctor, Giovanni Aldini, who had theorized electricity could bring back a recently dead body? I just remembered we had a whole discussion about that very recently. Wow. In fact, during Mary’s story, I thought, “Isn’t this like that news story about that guy?” So, I agree, her tale is really original.

I think I’m coming off as jealous. And I don’t mean to be. But it’s not as much fun to do this story competition when there’s a ringer in the room. Not to mention that her parents were kind of famous, right? So, you have that nepo-baby advantage right there. Not all of us grew up under the Wollstonecraft and Godwin banners. Some of us had to learn our letters ourselves and work full-time jobs that don’t allow us to come up with entirely new genres of fiction.

Like, I don’t consider myself a melancholic poet who has sex on their parents’ grave or whatever, so forgive me for not being that fancy. I just think—I don’t know—why does the monster talk so much? It’s like, am I supposed to be afraid, or am I supposed to be bored? Maybe it should growl or roar? Something actually scary and not “society is bad” scary. The tall part’s solid, but you made him yellow. I don’t want to give notes, but maybe green instead?

Everyone seems to just want me to move on and tell my story. But, honestly, I’m not really in the mood anymore. I really do wish I had gone first to set a better tone than Mary has here and not because her story was long and clearly outlined beforehand. Seriously, does nobody else think that’s strange? Nobody? Then why aren’t any of you volunteering to go next?

It’s like when there’s a group job interview, and you find out someone can bring a fiddle, and now you feel like you didn’t prepare. Again, I admit it’s a fun idea if you’re into this type of thing. I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve all the kudos we’re all giving her—me included. I’m not insulting you, Mary! I mean, when I realized that maybe Frankenstein was the real monster after all? I shivered. By the way, do we think it’s a mistake that Mary didn’t name the monster? I don’t want to put a hat on a hat, but people might want the monster to have a name, or they could get confused.

Anyway, here’s my story. Yep. Here we go. Coming right up. Uh, so my tale takes place in a castle. So, imagine we’re inside a big castle, it’s really scary. And there’s lightning. And a guy. And another guy. And a woman. But she’s dead. And they’re making, uh, the bride of Frankenstein!

Oh, so Mary can take an idea and run with it, but I can’t. I see. I see.

Marcus Silva and the women agreed to drop lawsuits against each other just days before they were set to go to trial.

Students can enter their class rank, grade point average, and standardized test scores to get a list of universities to which they’d be admitted.

Video captured across the state shows the scale of destruction to homes and structures.

Our friends at 270 Reasons are gathering a polyphonic orchestra of brilliant writers, teachers, doctors, filmmakers, artists, and citizens of all kinds to weigh in about their plans to vote this November. These opinion essays run the gamut from advocacy for basic human rights to acutely personal mini-manifestoes. Read the rest over at 270 Reasons.

Because Kamala Harris Can Say the Word “Abortion”
by Lauren Groff

I am voting for Kamala Harris because I want a president who can say the word “abortion.” I want a president who knows that all genders are inherently equal, but that deeply ingrained misogyny and societal structures make it so much harder to be a person born with a uterus. I want a president who knows that abortion is a safer medical procedure than a tonsillectomy, and that it is a necessary and very basic medical procedure that should be widely and easily available so that an unwanted pregnancy can be terminated as early as possible. When abortion is legal and safe and inexpensive and easy to get, almost all people who elect to get them do so nearly as soon as they discover they are pregnant.

I want widespread and easy abortion access because I am a mother. My two sons are the most beautiful humans I’ve ever met, and we yearned for them before they came. And yet, even with an extraordinary social and family network, with enough money for more than the basic necessities of life, with my privilege that I do not take for granted, becoming a mother nearly killed me. Pregnancy, in which my babies took the calcium from my teeth and bones, and drove me to a depression so deep I’m still terrified by the darkness of that time, was utterly grueling. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Just kidding! I’d wish it on Donald Trump and JD Vance, but just for a month or so, so they would understand how horrific it is to force underage girls, girls who have been raped, girls who are the victims of incest, to carry deeply unwanted fetuses for ten months. Being the mother of babies and toddlers was, if anything, even harder than pregnancy. It was a long waking nightmare with glimmers of joy, and I am relieved every single day now that my children are magnificent teenagers.

Being a parent is the gravest responsibility a human can take on. It should never be taken as lightly as the antiabortion crowd takes it. A government that forces its citizens to give birth contrary to their will is a government that is using its citizens like livestock. I’ve watched with revulsion and despair as the right wing erodes the fundamental human right to control one’s own body.

We must do better. With Kamala Harris in the White House, I believe we will.

Lauren Groff is a three-time National Book Award finalist and a New York Times best-selling author. She has won The Story Prize, the ABA Indies’ Choice Award, France’s Grand Prix de l’Héroïne, and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Read more essays (with new ones added every day) at 270reasons.com.

The arguments here represent the opinion of the authors and not necessarily those of the McSweeney’s Literary Arts Fund.

IRVINE, CA—Despite the fast food chain’s self-described dedication to innovation, Taco Bell announced Friday that it was plumb out of ideas for new places to put ground beef. “We’re stumped—we can’t think of anywhere else to put our signature seasoned beef at the moment,” said Nathan Chisholm, a disheveled-looking member of the Taco Bell product team who stressed that they needed to come up with something really soon because the beef was piling up. “We have already done it all: inside a hard shell, in between two tortillas, outside of a tortilla. Have we put it in lettuce? Yeah, that’s right, we’ve definitely put it in lettuce already. We’ve rolled it up. We’ve sprinkled some in the bottom of the bag, packed it into a cup, crammed it in the ice machine. We’ve put taco meat in places that I can never repeat. What about a bun? No, no, that wouldn’t work. That’s it—we’re pulling an all-nighter!” At press time, Taco Bell had unveiled its new limited-time offer of a fistful of beef. 

The post Taco Bell Announces It’s Plumb Out Of Ideas For New Places To Put Beef appeared first on The Onion.

Food prices continue to rise as supermarkets and manufacturers rake in record profits, squeezing many American families’ budgets. The Onion shares tips for saving money on groceries.

• Make a list and stick to it unless Ben & Jerry’s is on sale, or you see those cream sandwich cookies you like.
• Stop feeding any children that clearly aren’t gonna pan out in the long run.
• Mix up a large pot of homogenized nutrient paste on Sundays and portion it into servings to last the rest of the week.
• Make your own tomatoes, however that works. 
• Remember, marketing is just marketing, no matter how many cereal mascots jump off their boxes and engage in playful banter with you. 
• Put everything on Bills -2.5 this Sunday and you’ll never have to worry about saving money again.
• Hire a private investigator to take photographs of Kroger cashiers in compromising situations that you can use to blackmail them during checkout. 
• There are always lentils!

The post Tips For Saving Money On Groceries appeared first on The Onion.

Headlines

• Milton made landfall near Siesta Key earlier this evening.
• Storm surge of 8 to 10 feet is likely to have occurred near Sarasota through Venice.
• Surge of 5 to 6 feet is causing major flooding in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and elsewhere down the coast.
• Tampa Bay was spared the worst case scenario surge.
• But major to catastrophic flash flooding is now ongoing in the Tampa metro area, with torrential rain expanding north and east up I-4 toward Orlando.
• Over 1.5 million customers experiencing power outages now in Florida.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key this evening as a category 3 hurricane. An approximately 10 foot storm surge came ashore in Sarasota, while Tampa Bay ranged from negative surge (water being flushed out of the bay) in the upper part of the bay to about 2 feet in the lower part. Had Milton made landfall even 15 to 20 miles farther north, we’re talking about a 10 to 12 foot surge into Tampa Bay. That’s how close it came for Tampa…20 miles. Farther down the coast, about a 5 to 6 foot surge is ongoing in Fort Myers. There are videos from Venice floating around showing pretty terrible surge as well. So I presume daylight will bring a pretty rough scene in Sarasota, Venice, and Longboat Key, among other places.

Relentless rain is pounding the Tampa metro area and now spreading north and east across the Florida Peninsula. Totals for today have been up to 17 inches in St. Petersburg and over 10 inches around much of Tampa.

There’s still a good deal more rain to come though hopefully the pace will slow somewhat. A flash flood emergency is in effect in Tampa. Catastrophic flooding is possible from the rainfall. This may not be the last flash flood emergency we see this evening, with torrential rain working northeast on I-4 toward Orlando and Deltona.

Several inches of rain will fall in a short time here, and severe flash flooding may occur. Thankfully, the tornado threat has pushed offshore for now, and though an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out there should not be the ridiculous pace we saw earlier today. The damage in eastern Florida from tornadoes is going to be more significant than we typically see in a tropical system. Why this storm went ballistic whereas other do not is a complex topic to get into but perhaps one we can touch on during the offseason.

Next update will be in the morning sometime. Wishing all the best in Florida.

Weathered: Earth's Extreme is available globally at: https://to.pbs.org/WeatheredST or the PBS App (US Only)

Check out the Space Time Merch Store
https://www.pbsspacetime.com/shop

We know that the universe is getting bigger. And we know that the speed that the universe is getting bigger is also getting bigger. The standard assumption is that the acceleration rate is itself constant, which will surely result in ultimate heat death. But a recent survey of primordial sound waves frozen into the way galaxies are sprinkled through the universe reveals that this fate is now in question.

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to:http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE

Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord!
https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime



Sign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements!
https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetime

Search the Entire Space Time Library Here: https://search.pbsspacetime.com/

Hosted by Matt O'Dowd
Written by Richard Dyer & Matt O'Dowd
Post Production by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini & Stephanie Faria
Directed by Andrew Kornhaber
Associate Producer: Bahar Gholipour
Executive Producer: Andrew Kornhaber
Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing
Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell

Special Thanks: Adam Schwartz & Kurt Ritta

Spacetime is a production of Kornhaber Brown for PBS Digital Studios.
This program is produced by Kornhaber Brown, which is solely responsible for its content.
© 2024 PBS. All rights reserved.

End Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiDroideka

Space Time Was Made Possible In Part By:

Big Bang
Wojciech Szymski
Bryce Fort
Peter Barrett
Alexander Tamas
Morgan Hough
Juan Benet
Vinnie Falco
Mark Rosenthal

Supernova
Grace Biaelcki
Glenn Sugden
Ethan Cohen
Stephen Wilcox
The Tyacke boys
Mark Heising

Hypernova
Richard Pavlicek
Dean Galvin
Michael Tidwell
Robert DeChellis
Stephen Spidle
Chris Webb
Justin Lloyd
David Giltinan
Kenneth See
Gregory Forfa
Alex Kern
drollere
Scott Gorlick
Paul Stehr-Green
Ben Delo
Scott Gray
Антон Кочков
Robert Ilardi
John R. Slavik
Mathew
Donal Botkin
Edmund Fokschaner
chuck zegar
Daniel Muzquiz

Gamma Ray Burst
Param Saxena
John De Witt
Nathaniel Bennett
Sandhya Devi
Michael Oulvey
Arko Provo Mukherjee
Mike Purvis
Christopher Wade
Anthony Crossland
Grace Seraph
Stephen Saslow
Tomaz Lovsin
Anthony Leon
Lori Ferris
Koen Wilde
Nicolas Katsantonis
Richard Steenbergen
Joe Pavlovic
Chuck Lukaszewski
Cole B Combs
Andrea Galvagni
Jerry Thomas
Nikhil Sharma
John Anderson
Bradley Ulis
Craig Falls
Kane Holbrook
Ross Story
Harsh Khandhadia
Matt Quinn
Michael Lev
Rad Antonov
Terje Vold
James Trimmier
Jeremy Soller
Paul Wood
Kent Durham
jim bartosh
John H. Austin, Jr.
Diana S
Faraz Khan
Almog Cohen
Daniel Jennings
Jeremy Reed
David Johnston
Michael Barton
Isaac Suttell
Bleys Goodson
Mark Delagasse
Mark Daniel Cohen
Shane Calimlim
Tybie Fitzhugh
Eric Kiebler
Craig Stonaha
Frederic Simon
Tonyface
Jim Hudson
Alex Gan
John Funai
Adrien Molyneux
Bradley Jenkins
Vlad Shipulin
Justin Waters
Thomas Dougherty
Dan Warren
Joseph Salomone
Julien Dubois