Cowboy Who?

One-sentence summary

Atlantic action stays out at sea, a Gulf system remains a possibility next week, and <checks notes> California will be impacted by Hurricane Hilary.

Happening now: Still waiting

We’re not ones to tempt fate here at The Eyewall. We legitimately want everyone to have a peaceful hurricane season with minimal stress and anxiety. So, while we are still waiting for something to come of the “noise” in the tropics this week, we’re not complaining either.

Two waves in the Atlantic have a 60 percent chance each to develop in the coming days. They have been dubbed Invest 98L (east) and Invest 99L (west). Both are expected to remain out at sea, thankfully, but you can see them on satellite this morning.

Earlier this week, I said the trailing wave might have a better shot to do something. As of today, I think it’s really a toss-up. Either invest could be “the one,” but neither looks exactly superb as of yet. We still anticipate that the upper level pattern will safely steer both disturbances out to sea.

Interests in the Lesser Antilles should make sure this doesn’t change, so keep an eye on things the next couple days just to be safe. Meanwhile, let’s look closer at the northern Caribbean and southwest Atlantic this morning, where the ingredients for our more meaningful Gulf disturbance will slowly come together over the next few days.

The primary impetus for this disturbance is currently just north of Hispaniola. This will race off to the west-northwest and merge with some additional activity in the eastern Gulf and we’ll have our disturbance. The NHC gives it a 30 percent chance of developing next week. The general spirit of things: “A disturbance with a low ceiling potential for development will race west across the Gulf next week toward Texas” seems to remain the story here. A good idea to keep tabs on this one, but there’s a very good chance this will not cause any significant problems.

What of the rain? The hope was (and still is) that this disturbance can drag enough Gulf moisture into drought-plagued Texas and/or Louisiana to help deliver some rainfall and provide some relief from drought. If you look at the forecast rain totals next week from the deterministic and operational GFS (left) and Euro (right), you can see some substantial differences. The GFS suppresses diffuse rain to the south, while the Euro is like “Heck yeah, brother!”

Well, let’s look specifically at the Euro. If you unpack the Euro ensemble, which is an average of 50 different European model runs with different tweaks at initialization, the picture that’s painted is a bit different than that of the operational model shown above. The map below shows the European ensemble probability of 1″ or more of rain. Not high!

Ensembles help us a lot in these situations because they can validate or invalidate critical deterministic guidance. In this case, it puts an awful lot of doubt on that European operational model that brings 1 to 4 inches of rain to Texas and southwest Louisiana. It has the placement farther south and west and probably with lower odds.

Bottom line: While some rain is likely in drought-stricken Texas, this may not be the droid you’re looking for.

Interlude: Californication

Our site is intended to primarily cover Atlantic tropics, but every so often, something interesting and worth discussing happens on the Pacific side too. Today we focus on California.

Rare as it is, California can get impacted by tropical storms, although it takes a heck of a lot of things to come together to get that to happen. The last time this officially happened was in 1939 when a tropical storm made landfall near San Pedro (between the Port of Long Beach and Rancho Palos Verdes). As recently as last year, Hurricane Kay brought remnant impacts to California that were rather significant. Suffice to say though, it’s unusual. Hurricane Hilary just formed in the Pacific, and the official forecast track will raise an eyebrow or two.

This has support from modeling. As Hilary comes north, it will be steered by a trough to its north and the insanely sprawling, near-record ridge over the Midwest and Plains. Hilary should come north, roughly parallel to Baja but offshore initially. It will then likely get drawn inland somewhere between Point Conception (west of Santa Barbara) and the central coast of Baja in Mexico. The most likely outcome right now is a Baja landfall north of Cabo and San Carlos. Anyone in Cabo, tropical storm conditions are possible, but hurricane conditions are currently expected to stay offshore.

Since yesterday, modeling seems to have coalesced around another storm not making official landfall in California, and as shown by the NHC above, it will probably make land in Baja. However, the general theme of things, bringing Hilary north will bring the remnant moisture northward too.

In general, you should expect a good chance of heavy rain in SoCal, especially in the desert and up into Nevada and for portions of western Arizona and southwest Utah beginning Sunday into Monday, but specifics will be tough to nail down. Additionally, strong winds in passes and at higher elevations will be an issue.

That type of rain (3 to 6 inches) in the desert can cause severe flooding issues, so folks between Phoenix and San Diego northward (as well as on Baja obviously) should be monitoring Hilary’s progress. Check out your local National Weather Service office for more localized details.

The medium range (days 6 to 10): A bit of an interlude period

I think the medium range period right now looks like a quieter one with the potential of lingering open Atlantic activity and then a bridge to extended period development in the Gulf, Caribbean, or southwest Atlantic. There are no specific concerns at this time beyond Hilary in California and babysitting the Gulf wave next week.

Fantasyland (beyond day 10): More to come

The system (meaning the atmosphere) remains cranky and noisy beyond day 10 I think. There are several things that might happen, but there is nothing we necessarily feel convicted about that will happen.

For one, as both Eric and I have alluded to in recent days, we could see a gyre setup over Central America, which could spice things up a bit, especially in the Caribbean or eastern Gulf. Some modeling is suggesting that stuff could creep north toward the Bahamas or off the Southeast U.S. coast. The eastern Atlantic may settle down a bit here.

What will ultimately dictate things in the extended range will be the upper pattern. Do we have another ridge over Texas? Will it have nudged back to the Southwest? Will the Bermuda high remain mostly at bay in the Atlantic, keeping the exit door open north and northeast? A lot of things to answer here. We can only speak in broad, vague terms right now. Our advice: Stay tuned.

Good morning. In the big picture, Houston’s overall forecast remains largely the same. After some lovely, drier air we’re back into high humidity and high heat through the weekend. By Monday, we’ll be watching the Gulf of Mexico with bated breath, to see whether a tropical system brings much needed rainfall to the Upper Texas coast. I think that’s still about a 50-50 proposition.

Before jumping into the forecast I want to answer a question I’ve received many times in recent weeks about this summer, which has seen record temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, alarmingly low levels of sea ice, and extreme heat around much of the world. NASA recently concluded that July 2023 is the planet’s hottest month in the reliable global temperature record, which dates back to 1880. The question I’m getting is, could this be caused by the large amount of water vapor injected into the upper atmosphere by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in December 2021, in the Southern Pacific Ocean?

Typically, big volcanic eruptions send large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, which reflects sunlight and cools the climate. By contrast, the Hunga Tonga eruption also produced large amounts of water vapor, a potent greenhouse gas. So is this the culprit for extremely warm temperatures this year?

As always with climate, the answer is complex, and nuanced. However, the Berkeley Earth non-governmental organization recently published an analysis that I think captures several of the factors that led to this summer’s heating. Principally, there is human-caused global warming; but there are a number of other factors that have contributed this year, including a switch to El Niño, the Solar cycle, the Hunga Tonga eruption, and a reduction in marine fuel pollution that has led to clearer air. All of these factors, layered on top of global warming, have really goosed temperatures this year.

As the report notes, the effect of the Hunga Tonga eruption is probably relatively small, but it likely has added some warmth to the planet after injecting about 150 million tonnes of water vapor into the stratosphere. It will take a few years for this plume to dissipate. Please note that I realize that the mere mention of climate change gets some readers really upset. I’m sorry, but on a weather website it is occasionally necessary to mention that the planet is warming, and discuss potential causes. If you feel compelled to get nasty in the comments below, your IP address will be banned. Most readers have been polite in previous discussions, agreeing to disagree, and I appreciate that.

Now, on to the forecast.

Thursday

The dry air, sadly, is gone. And so we welcome back high temperatures in the low 100s, humid air, sunny skies, and light southerly winds. Nighttime lows are around 80 degrees. We all know the drill.

Friday

More of the same.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend looks sunny and hot, with high temperatures again of around 100 degrees, or perhaps a tick or two higher. There’s a slight chance of some rain on Sunday afternoon, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Next week

So what’s going to happen next week with that tropical wave? Unfortunately the global models remain divided about its outcome. The Global Forecast System, or GFS model, keeps the low to the south of the greater Houston area, along with much of its rainfall. The European model, however, brings the low much closer to our region, and delivers a healthy dose of rainfall during the middle of next week. I think both scenarios are plausible, so I don’t have confidence in making a forecast just yet. If we do get some cloudy, rainy days, it will knock high temperatures back into the 90s. Please clap.

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GUANTANAMO, CUBA— In recognition of the pivotal role the structure has played in America’s legacy, sources confirmed Friday that Guantanamo Bay Detention Center would remain open indefinitely after earning national historic landmark status. “We want to honor the incredible contribution this detention camp has made in…

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH—Midway through a tour of a construction site partially funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden reportedly fell Wednesday into a cement mixer. “See, this is the kind of building we used to do in America, the kind we can do again thanks to the IRA, and if you just—whoaahoaaahoaaa,”…

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KNOXVILLE, TN—Using his vomit to carefully connect the dots, local hungover man Dennis Moen reportedly pieced together his previous night on Thursday by what he was throwing up. “Okay, so I must have stopped at a hot dog stand at some point, if you take into consideration all the wiener chunks I just puked,” said…

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Vanna White will reportedly be missing from Wheel Of Fortune for the first time in over 30 years after contracting Covid-19, with the 2023 “Teacher of the Year” recipient filling in during upcoming “Teachers Week” episodes. What do you think?

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Also, self-destructiveness stops being attractive some time around age 22, but for some reason people keep doing it.

Today's News:

Rudy Giuliani, who was hailed for his innovative use of racketeering laws against the Mob as a U.S. attorney in the 1980s, was indicted for violating Georgia’s RICO law along with Donald Trump and 17 others in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 election. What do you think?

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OTTAWA – A rumpled Prime Minister Trudeau has unveiled a bill that will forcibly bring down the price of microwaveable lasagnas, frozen chicken strips, and Kraft Dinner, among other depressed bachelor food staples.  Trudeau announced C-351, an Act to help Canadians navigating divorce, to reporters at his local laundromat, where he’d ruined several shirts after […]

The post Disheveled Trudeau announces national strategy for lowering price of frozen dinners appeared first on The Beaverton.

New Cyanide and Happiness Comic

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Weirdly, evil Kant requires you to lie to save people from murderers.

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Diminishing springs and aquifers due to heat, drought and high for demand water highlight the urgency for Central Texas conservation districts to prioritize climate-focused management, potentially involving reduced pumping for sustainability.

DALLAS—Stressing that the demographic group represented a vital part of their customer base, restaurant and video game chain Dave & Busters rolled out a half-off Tuesday nights promotion this week for divorced men choosing between killing themselves and Skee-Ball. “We’re happy to give recently divorced men…

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The prolific output of the artist William Kentridge is easy to admire. His confident hand abounds with life in his drawings, animations, and sculptural works. His expressionist tendencies are apparent in early large prints included in his retrospective exhibition, William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the trajectory from static drawings towards stop motion magic is explained in the astute curation of the show. It is one of the strongest displays of artistic vision on view in recent memory.

Kentridge is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. His body of work is an evolving reckoning of sorts, grappling with historical import in a personally open and melancholic manner shaped, no doubt, in large part by his family of origin’s deep roots in the anti-apartheid movement. Kentridge also has early roots in the theater; he worked at the Junction Avenue Theatre Company, which was an interracial organization, while attending the University of the Witwatersrand in the 1970s. This link between the kinetic image and the fixed drawing is precisely where Kentridge shines most brightly.

Greatly influenced by the eponymous In Praise of Shadows, by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki, Kentridge’s technique of a combination of additive and subtractive charcoal rendering, captured in still frames and then projected in video, pervades a mood celebrated in the book — one of the “mystery of shadows.” Of course it is the mysteries of the apartheid legacy that Kentridge is grappling with.

His figurative works are so deftly handled in charcoal, so “lived in,” that they only grow in intensity when the viewer is allowed to see the drawings morph and repeat in messy erasures and inclusions as documented in their stop motion sequencing. The passages of transition from one subtle movement to another — one character’s mere glance from here to fro — becomes imbued with emotion and process via ancillary mark making. The residual charcoal strokes from previous iterations are never really erased, never expunged entirely, leaving a sort of living record of the drawing’s past, and in some sense, utility.

Several displayed drawings will have been worked and reworked and documented in sequence in various projections in the show, and to be sure, these hit the nail squarely on the head when it comes to a synergy reached between form and content. Indeed, in one piece the artist employs video imagery manipulation into the frame, a conceptual misstep perhaps, losing a purity while gaining little. 

Kentridge glides seamlessly between mediums, his background in theater a touchstone throughout his career. He is the type of artist that won’t rest until he’s found the right voice for what he’s contemplating. It’s a dogged process that is on display in voices ranging from gorgeous large-scale prints to caste bronzes emulating convincing cardboard assemblages to stop motion stories unfolding in sublime patterns before one’s eyes.

This evidence of determination makes one think deeper about the images in the exhibition. They speak of an enduring process, literally and metaphorically, in a way that honors the generational burden of apartheid and its import to those who suffered under it, as well as those who enforced it. Even the small and deceptively simple bronze sculptures in the show pack a punch with their trompe l’oeil presence. Indeed, Kentridge “enhances the beauty of…” human struggle by giving it voice in the very process of his art. It is not that what he is saying is so profound or original, rather it is the passion and expression through which his labor has been allowed to mature as a representative voice amidst all of the systemic horrors it references. His art has clearly been forged in human struggle.

One of the many standouts in the show includes Singer Trio (2019), a “singing” collection of three Singer sewing machines aligned atop a mounted mechanism which allows their fashioned conical speakers to rotate and perform in a Jean Tinguely-like manner. The craft here, as in all of Kentridge’s work, is impeccable yet not belabored. The artist’s aesthetic reminds one of Marlene Dumas, another South African heavy, in that his results are seemingly loose, interpretive, expressionistic. And they are, to be sure, but they also appear effortlessly perfect, bespeaking necessity with each iteration. 

Kentridge’s art presents an honest reflection of the process by which it was made, and this in turn projects a comfortableness in the work, a readiness to forego abstractions of politics in favor of the humanity in reconciliation. Naturalistic might be a way to put it, but that’s not quite accurate. Here there is conscious manipulation, an acquiescence towards the necessity of strife. It is the messiness of a construction site, rather than the austere cleanliness of a blueprint.

There are no grand epiphanies arrived at in Kentridge’s art, rather the whole process of image making, static, kinetic, or otherwise is the epiphany. As we try to come to terms with the ghosts of our past, we do so through acts of reconciliation, which are by themselves inadequate deliverers of redemption. But they do give evidence of the work involved in the attempt, and that can be quite revelatory in and of itself.

This exhibit resonates even more intensely given the congruent show, Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest and Worry Will Vanish (through September 4, 2023), on view in the MFAH’s Cullen Hall. While Kentridge’s exhibition inspires introspection and cultural reflection, Rist’s comes off as an impromptu DJ booth writ-large with requisite bean bags included, a sure sign the establishment is hip. Rist’s installation is another in a long list of shows that market well on Instagram, but offer little else in return. Kentridge’s In Praise of Shadows maintains interest long past the selfies.

 

William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows is organized by The Broad, Los Angeles and its curator, Ed Schad. The Houston presentation is organized by Alison de Lima Greene. The exhibition is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston through September 10, 2023.

The post Review: “William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston appeared first on Glasstire.

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

A reader writes:

I work at a Fortune 500 company, working specifically on one category that gets quite a lot of attention. I’ve been in the industry for 16 years and with this company for about half that. I have advanced degrees and am regarded as an expert in my field, internally and externally.

Recently I attended a large industry conference along with four relatively new employees. I went a day earlier because I had a specialized symposium to attend, but, before I left I messaged the group (all of them) and told them the dates I’d be in town and that I’d like to meet up with them for dinners or an activity. No one responded. No worries … everyone is busy.

I texted them again after my symposium and let them know I was going to go shopping in the touristy area of town the next afternoon (the conference was light for stuff on our topic that day). One person spoke for the group and said that one of them had a friend presenting so they couldn’t go. None of them could go. Because one couldn’t. They did invite me to join them for dinner the next night. Dinner involved a 20-minute drive, then a ride in a cable car before putting in your name for a table. They rented a midsize car (think Camry or similar). I didn’t. The leader of the group told me that there just wasn’t enough space for a fifth person. I regularly put five in my compact car. Four of the five people are average to small size. Five would fit. But, I didn’t make a scene and I Ubered and met them at the time they suggested.

The newest person paid the bar tab (against company policy) and I gently let them know that company policy says the most senior person pays. They acted cagey when I picked up the tab for dinner. Again, it’s company policy and the company takes its policy seriously.

The rest of the week, they seemed to actively avoid me, and when they did come around for a mixer and I was trying to introduce them to some of the literal founders of our industry, the leader proceeded to talk over everyone, founders included.

I’m professional enough to not take it personally, but I’m not sure what to do with my observations. I’m a people manager several levels higher than them. Should I bring this up to their manager? It’s one thing to treat a higher level colleague they way they treated me. It’s another for them to behave the way one of them did in public around the people we should be building relationships with. I got feedback from more than one of my industry peers that the poster deliveries were not up to par as well.

Adding to my uncertainty is that my manager and their manager don’t really get along. I do get along with their manager’s manager, though. I don’t want this to seem petty, but I’m concerned that they would treat others the way they treated me and it could have a real impact on their careers and on the scientific reputation of my company. What should I do?

Let it go.

None of this is a big deal, except for the one person who talked over VIPs at a networking event. That’s objectively rude, but it doesn’t rise to the level of something you need to report unless you’re in the kind of role where you’re asked to give that sort of feedback or they’re in the kind of role where they really, really need to be socially skilled (like a fundraiser, for example).

The rest of it, though … eh.

It does sound like they made you feel excluded, and it’s understandable for that to sting. But I think you’re taking it more personally than you should — and it’s making you apply a level of scrutiny and negative judgment to each individual interaction that isn’t warranted.

It’s not weird for one person to speak for the group and say they couldn’t join you for shopping, assuming you’d sent the message to the whole group; it sounds like they’d made plans among themselves earlier, and so one person responded to say that. But they did invite you to dinner, which is the opposite of being exclusionary. And not wanting to cram five people in one mid-size car isn’t that odd, particularly since Covid has made a lot of people less open to being scrunched against others in a confined space — and they likely figured you’d grab an Uber, like you did.

I do see how all of that together combined to feel cliquey, but it doesn’t rise to the level of something to talk to their boss or their boss’s boss … and I worry your personal feelings could be getting in the way of you assessing it objectively. (For example, the fact that someone paid without knowing company policy re: the most senior person paying isn’t a big deal. You explained, and now they know.)

About them avoiding you the rest of the week after dinner: Could they have picked up on irritation from you during dinner? (You do sound pretty fed up in your letter.) Or maybe they just don’t feel like they clicked with you as well as they did with each other — that happens. Or who knows, maybe they’re jerks who actively tried to make you feel excluded — but that’s less likely than the other possibilities, and there’s not enough here to assume it’s that.

The one part that could be worth raising to someone above them is the feedback you heard from industry peers that their posters weren’t up to par — if multiple people said that to you (!), it sounds like something was really off there.

But let the rest of it go.

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

Tomorrow is the Ask a Manager speed round! On Wednesday from 2-3:30 pm ET, I’ll be answering as many questions as I can live on the website during that time.

To submit a question in advance, use the form below.

These will be short answers, obviously, so this is better suited for questions that don’t require lengthy, nuanced replies.

The speed round has now happened (you can read it here) so I am closing this form.

Our city is proud to offer monthly trash pickup, every-other-day recycling pickup, and composting services. Are you in the present moment with us? Vibe a bit longer, then see when your intuition says to place the compost at the curb—that will be the correct time. But how do you know which items belong in which bin? It simply couldn’t be simpler.

Glass Recycling

Blue glass bottles must be carefully shattered and tumbled to add to our gorgeous city’s pebbly beach. A carpool takes glass pebbles to the shoreline on the harvest moon. Clear glass bottles can be placed directly into the yellow glass bin. Glass bottles with metallic fasteners and tops can be reused to make an upcycled bouquet holder.

Metal Recycling

Do you own a jeweler’s magnifying glass? A set of reusable silicone swabs? You’ll need both to ensure the metal cans you recycle are spotless, or our friendly crew will accept your refusal to learn these simple guidelines as an invitation for our junior bagpiper’s team to practice in your yard. Your neighbors will absolutely love hearing their glorious drone.

For ambiguous metals, including but not limited to cadmium, nickel, brass, and aluminum, you’ll need a copy of Manuel’s Manual of House Metals and the special dichotomous key that goes with it. Flip to page 47 and say aloud the Latin incantation. Next, gather all your items, head to the dumpster behind the nearest Starbucks, and wait for a city raccoon. You’ll know it is a municipal staffer by its friendly and non-bitey attitude. The raccoon will bathe your recyclable metal and tinfoil in a fountain, and his paws will leave it clean and glossy enough for your outlandishly filthy bin.

Plastic Recycling

Now that you live here, you must be ready to commit to a bagless lifestyle. On a rainy night, sit in your rental’s gravel driveway, and carefully weave a plastic net. Take a heroic dose of LSD, then meet the fleeting spirit of the sea turtle, and beg it for mercy after it watches all of your plastic bags float down the river.

Do you have your updated City Manual Version 3.852A? Good, we want to be on the same page here. Plastic jugs with purely decorative handles are always trash. Plastic jugs with usable plastic handles are recyclable. Honey squeeze bottles featuring bears with particularly deranged features are permitted to be burned in a yearly bonfire so that we don’t repeat the Teddy Bear Rampage of 2014. Larger plastic jugs between 9.5 to 75,000 ounces are recyclable, but only if filled with LaCroix at least four times before being deposited in a bin.

Paper and Cardboard

For these items, you’ll need a Schmueller’s grease scale, accompanied by the pizza scale. If your cardboard is just a bit greasy, say a 1-2.5, you can put it in the recycling. If it is just a smidgen above that, you’ll need to throw it in the compost; if it has dark purple or bleached cardboard, you need to place it in a trash can.

Styrofoam

Don your darkest cloak. A black mask. Any color underthings. Sneak your styrofoam garbage into your neighbor’s trash can, so no one will know your secret shame. Overexplain your terrible and mighty guilt to your cashier at Trader Joe’s when they ask how your day is going and enjoy a mild panic attack while they attempt to soothe your frantic feelings.

Thank you for your time and attention while learning how straightforward recycling is here. Don’t forget, you’ll be getting your yearly reference to help you identify different plastic, metal, and aseptic packaging types shipped directly to your door unless you choose to opt out by DMing us on Instagram. We also have various fun and exciting workshops coming up:

• “Finding Joy and Presence by Gardening in a Pre-Apocalyptic World”
• “Are Reusable Menstrual Products Guilt-Free Enough?”
• “Making Things Bearable: How to Move On After the Plastic Honeybear Massacre”
• “What the Hell Do I Do With All These Amazon Mailers?”
• “Bagpipes: Why Not?”

Also, don’t forget to submit your drawings for the city employee raccoon mascot. The grand prize winner will get one extra trash pickup this year.

I love going on hot dates but I love goofn' with my 'ocoder more

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DERRY, NH—As they lamented her decision to take on such a burdensome responsibility in this phase of her life, sources reported Tuesday that local woman Laura Raclaw had chosen to squander her childbearing years by bearing children. “It’s just sad to see someone who’s still so young using this precious time when she’s…

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As part of an escalating war on books, many Republicans are pushing to close local libraries across the country. The Onion asked conservatives why libraries should be defunded, and this is what they said.

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FORT LIBERTY, NC—As he signed and muttered, “Here we go again,” 13-year-old Army brat Logan Crawshaw was reportedly kicking himself Tuesday after learning his family would be moving just as he was getting comfortable with a new regional fast food chain. “I know better than to get too attached, and yet I always do,”…

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UPDATE: See newer Mactoberfest info here. It even has a fancy logo now.

Somebody stop me! On Saturday October 14 from 11am to 5pm, Big Mess o’ Wires invites you to the 1st Annual Mactoberfest San Francisco Bay Area Classic Macintosh Meetup / Mini-Expo / Repair Clinic / Swap Meet / Open House / LAN Party / Hangout. Bring your classic Macintosh collection, your tools, your extension cords, your Localtalk cables, and all your best nerd toys. If you want to bring some Apple II or other vintage computers too, I won’t stop you. I’ve rented a room for 50-ish people, furnished with tables and chairs, and the rest is up to you:

• Mingle and chat. Stump the crowd with Macintosh trivia. How many of the signatures on the inside of the Mac 128K’s case can you name?
• Hardware showcase. Demo your interesting computers, peripherals, software, and vintage tech. I heard a rumor that some never-released classic Apple prototypes might be there.
• Repair broken equipment. Bring your soldering iron, multimeter, or scope. We’ll crowd-source some fixes.
• Beam some notes to other Newton users with IR. When else will you have a chance to do that?
• Play classic networked games like Bolo and Spaceword Ho!
• Buy, sell, trade, or donate vintage equipment. Find that one weird part you’ve searched for since 2008.
• Stock-up on BMOW’s vintage computer products. Yeah I’ll have stuff available for sale, but that’s not the point of this event.
• Debate whether the Newton was just ahead of its time, or was actually hot garbage.

This will be fun, but set your organizational expectations low. It’s a large rented room with lots of tables and chairs, hosted by Big Mess o’ Wires. The rest is up to you. The photo above is from a computer festival in Europe, and is much better coordinated than the chaos we’ll probably have. Don’t expect a highly-polished and curated event with fancy exhibits, a speaker series, and mad prizes. Don’t expect to wander through museum displays without talking to anybody. This is a low-key participatory event built on your own involvement and whatever goodies we collectively bring to play with.

Where
 
I’ve rented a large room near my home in Belmont California, in the middle of the San Francisco peninsula. Belmont is near Highway 92 and is roughly equidistant from San Jose and the South Bay, San Francisco and points north, and Oakland, Berkeley and the East Bay. If these words mean nothing to you, then you’re not in California and you’re too far away, sorry.

What to Bring
 
Please don’t forget to bring your electric extension cords! I’m not the AV department and I won’t be providing any electric cords. The room will have plenty of 6 x 3 foot tables and chairs, and copious electric outlets, but the closest outlet might not be near your table. There’s a hardware store half a mile away, if you need more extension cords on the day of the event. Also bring your classic Macintosh and other vintage computers, items to sell or trade or repair, tools for making repairs, and networking equipment if you want to LAN play. Don’t forget to put your name on your power cords and all your equipment, so it doesn’t get confused with somebody else’s stuff.

Attendance
 
I expect to have between 30 and 100 people. If we have more than 50 who are interested, I’ll need to start making table assignments. If this event goes viral and 500 classic Macintosh fanatics show up, plus Tim Cook and all the members of the original Macintosh dev team, we’ll have a problem because there’s a hard maximum of 100 people for the room.

RSVP here (in the Google Form) if you’re maybe, probably, or definitely planning to attend. This will help me keep track of who’s bringing what hardware, and the likely overall attendance level. The street address within Belmont is on the RSVP form.

If it looks like we may exceed 100 people then I’ll close the RSVP. Don’t be that sad person who’s turned away at the door (although you might start a Classic Macintosh tailgate party in the parking lot).

 
1st Annual Bay Area Classic Macintosh Meetup / Expo / Clinic / Swap-Meet
Hosted by Big Mess o’ Wires
Saturday October 14, 11:00am to 5:00pm
Belmont, California
in the “Fireplace Room”
(event address is on the RSVP form)

See you there, and don’t forget to RSVP!

 

RSVP here for the Classic Macintosh Event

 

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

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

1. Do I need to disclose a past fling with a new coworker?

I’m starting an entry-level program where my coworker is someone I hooked up with a few times last year. Our involvement was before he joined the company, and I didn’t know he was on this team. I was an intern at the company but not on the same team. I dislike him as a person and do not think highly of his integrity, but can treat him professionally and have no desire to badmouth him to my manager. We’re not in contact, and the breakup was undramatic. Do I need to disclose this to anyone, and if so, how?

The nature of the relationship is partially supervisory. He isn’t my official manager, but would have the most workplace interactions with me and likely have influence over my performance reports. He essentially would be my team mentor. I want to protect myself from any potential unfair treatment or harassment in the future. This is a large company with capacity to transfer me, but I’d rather not switch teams unless necessary. Also, I can only speak for myself — I have no idea if he’ll maintain professionalism. He didn’t respect my personal boundaries when we spent time together and I’d rather react proactively to any potential inappropriate behavior than reactively.

Honestly, I want to be transparent to avoid potential issues, but I also would prefer to keep my personal issues out of the workplace if possible. My company’s conflict of interest policy mentions current romantic partners but not exes, and given how casual the relationship was, I’m not really sure he even counts as an ex.

I really just want to focus on the job, and I’m not sure if disclosing this sort of thing to HR would get me fired (I’m not asking them to do anything, I’m just not sure if they’d expect me to mention this). Also not sure if *not* disclosing would make me look bad (although I must say I’m very surprised he didn’t mention it to our manager, from his admission). I want to maintain credibility should he behave inappropriately toward me in the future, and also want to CYA.

Me reading your first paragraph: Nope, no reason to disclose it. You hooked up a few times, there was no drama, it doesn’t need to be a big thing.

Me reading your second paragraph, where it turns out he’s going to have influence over your performance reviews: Ohhhh.

So yeah, I think you should probably mention it to HR because the “partially supervisory” bit changes things (and the fact that he didn’t mention it himself makes me question his judgment a bit). You could frame it as, “We had an extremely brief romantic relationship last year — just a few dates — and I can certainly work with him professionally, but I didn’t know if it was something I should disclose since he’ll be in a somewhat supervisory role over me.”

2. My boss asked how I afforded an expensive vacation

This happened a few years ago, but I still think about it and am curious how you’d have responded. I had worked for my then-boss for about six months and we did not jive. (I was actually in the process of moving departments. I’d been at the company for over five years when he was hired.) Every year, I’m very fortunate that my parents pay for a family vacation at a luxury resort. I had mentioned the hotel we go to (but not who pays) and my boss looked it up and asked me in a check-in, “How do you afford that?” I was incredibly taken aback by the question — it feels inappropriate from anyone, especially someone who in theory might control my future compensation. I was so shocked at the moment that I just told the truth, that my parents paid for it, but it felt like such an invasion of privacy and honestly just a rude question. Also to be clear, I made enough that I could pay for this myself, though I probably would not choose to (at least not annually).

Fortunately, I’m out of this not-ideal boss situation now, but I’m curious how you would’ve suggested replying if I’d been able to think more about my response. I’d also be curious if you think I just shouldn’t have mentioned where we stay at all, though I don’t want to lie if someone asks me (this resort is in a popular vacation destination).

Nah, you don’t need to lie about where you’re vacationing — although it’s also true that sometimes people choose to be discreet about this kind of thing if they work with nosy people or colleagues who Draw A Lot Of Conclusions when they get information about your off-hours.

Your boss’s question was rude, but your answer was fine. If you’d had time to refine it, you could have said, “I’m a guest, not the host” or “I’m going to pretend my boss isn’t asking me about my personal finances” or gone with a non-answer (“yeah, going anywhere is so expensive right now”) or anything else you were comfortable with. But you put were on the spot and the way you answered was an easy and low-drama way to respond.

3. How can I avoid shaking hands?

I have arthritis and tendonitis, which both contribute to a right hand that is (to use a medical term) jacked up. I also work in real estate, which means I’m constantly meeting new people, and handshakes are a daily occurrence. And usually, they hurt.

Is there any way to divert a handshake without the other person feeling offended AND without sharing my medical history? It’s not that I care if people know that I have arthritis, but I also believe in medical privacy. Plus that’s a lot to lump in with “nice to meet you.”

Also, PSA: Hardcore handshake grips might be hurting people you’re meeting! I used to do them too pre-illness, but now I really appreciate people being gentle.

“I have an injury so I’m not going to shake your hand, but it’s great to see you/meet you!” Say it warmly and you should be fine.

(Also, with our increased awareness of germs, more people than you might think will appreciate this.)

Related:
chill out with the bone-crushing handshakes

4. Should I try to get more flexibility or just quit?

Three months ago, I started a job at a mid-sized nonprofit with multiple site locations. In those three moths, three out of four of my coworkers quit, and I know why—the organization provides no support or training. I don’t love the job either, but feel that I’m at a point where I could negotiate for better conditions since if I were to quit now, the organization would likely have to close this location.

My primary request would be the ability to work from home on the two days of the week when we are already closed to the public. On these days, I make a long commute to the office, only to sit at my desk answering emails alone, which I could easily do from anywhere else. I brought this up to my manager last week and I felt that I strongly hinted at the stakes, saying I was “really looking for a job with this type of flexibility” and outright stating my current dissatisfaction with the job. She rejected the request, saying that unless everyone in the org could work a hybrid schedule, no one could.

I know that I could leave this job (indeed, I already have other options lined up) and I don’t intend to stay for long, but I really would like to be able to see the org through until they can hire more staff (which, at the current rate, could take months). Many of our clients rely on our services, and would be devastated if we closed our doors. That said, I don’t want this to hold me hostage to unnecessarily frustrating work conditions, and I want to use this chance at leverage to negotiate for what I need. Is there a way to say “meet my demands, or I quit,” but … professionally?

Well, you sort of already did — that conversation last week where you strongly hinted at the stakes should have been enough for any slightly aware manager to understand what you were saying, and that they risk losing you over this. It sounds like they simply may not care.

You can certainly try going back and spelling it out more explicitly, but I’d only do that once you’re ready to leave fairly immediately since you don’t know how they’ll react (for all we know, they could have already calculated that they’re okay with closing this location). You mentioned that you have other options lined up, so maybe you’d be fine with leaving soon after this conversation if you need to … in which case, the way to word it is something like, “I feel strongly enough that it’s something I’d leave over, but I wanted to talk with you one final time to see if there’s any room for flexibility.”

But please strongly factor into your thinking that you’ve basically already told them they’re likely to lose you over this and they’re not changing anything. I’d also worry that they’ll agree to what you want just to avert the immediate crisis and then push you out later when they no longer feel as dependent on you — at which point is there a risk that some of the options you’ve lined up now could be gone? If there’s not and you don’t care that much about controlling the timing, this could make sense. But again, I do think you’ve already told them.

5. I have 2 titles — which do I use in my email signature?

The function of my work is completely changing to the extent that it would constitute a career change. I am transitioning from a role that falls under the CFO in the org chart (one that helps the org run) to a higher one that falls under the COO (one that does the day to day programming). They are actively seeking to backfill my prior role, but in the mean time I am splitting my time between the two.

My extremely low-stakes question is when do I change my email signature, is there any reason to list both or switch between signatures? The majority of my communication is internal, but for both roles a significant portion is not. The function of them is wildly different enough I could see certain parties thinking it’s odd to receive an email from the non-relevant role.

It depends on what the titles are. In a lot of cases it would make sense to just list the higher level title. If that seems really off, then potentially both, listing them like this:
Title 1
Title 2 (interim)

But if that’s likely to confuse external people, does your email program gives you the option to choose from several signatures? If so, do that — and then just select the appropriate one for any given email. (It should be fine to just use one of the first two solutions internally though, where people presumably know what’s going on or at least where you won’t have the same perception issues that you might have with, say, a client.)

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