If you're not following Brian Sims on FB, you should be. PA state representative from Center City Philadelphia. Ex-collegiate football player. Gay. And one of the fiercest advocates I've come across. He does not shy away from pissing people off, and he's funny. His speech on the floor of the PA House after the Orlando shooting was incredibly moving: [link]

This is the direct link to his page: [link]

You have every reason to be. If you're feeling generous, it might be a teachable moment. There are times to take initiative, and there are times to do exactly what is asked of you. Learning the difference between the two will save a lot of grief and heartache, and help with promotability. Listen and ask questions if you're not sure you should be doing something.

What's too bad is she isn't actually on my team, so I feel like I don't have that much leeway in giving feedback.

Oh, I have another question for Ask A Manager that I can't send her because at least one of my team members reads the site and it could be obvious that it's me: Right now, I'm Acting in my old boss's job, and have been told I won't get the permanent job. We're about to get a new Big Boss, and I can't decide if I should pitch myself for the permanent job or not. Do I even want it? Wouldn't I rather get a new job? Ugh. (Relatedly, should I move myself into the permanent job's desk in the new office to Make A Point or not?)

I'm floored. From the Lt. Governor of Utah. Read it; it's worth it. [link]

Wow. There are too many bits I want to quote. Nicely done, sir. Now spread this wide and far.

The AC came on in this house ( high pressure central air.) It freaked Pumpkin the fuck out. Running all over the house, doing her ALERTALERT cry. As I was in a meeting where I actually needed to talk, so couldn't mute.

That was fun.

What's too bad is she isn't actually on my team, so I feel like I don't have that much leeway in giving feedback.

Do you have a good relationship with her boss? Run it by them. I don't think this is one of those things that should be let go. The subtlety of when to be a go-getter and when not is important.

Relatedly, should I move myself into the permanent job's desk in the new office to Make A Point or not?

Are you doing the job? Then you should.

If you want it, and want to remain with the org, then pitch yourself to the new boss. If the answer remains the same, you know how they feel and can conduct a job search accordingly. If you want out of Dodge, enjoy the upgraded desk while you're there, and move on to something fabulous.

I want out of Dodge, really, and would maybe rather sit in the lower-profile spot for that and other reasons. The actual desks are identical, so there's no benefit there. But I should want to make a point! I'm too tired to make a point.

Make the point when it matters to you. It doesn't sound like this is it. No reason to turn it into a crusade, especially if nothing short of a wholesale change in the business would make you happy there.

Thank you! Maybe the new Big Boss will lead to the wholesale change, but I basically doubt it.

Ugh, good luck Jesse.

Everything is making me cry this week. Just read a Jezebel article about a woman who had a non-viable pregnancy and it was just heartbreaking.

Also I am not super busy at work which makes me not want to even do the minimal work I have, which is bad. Ugh.

Yes, white guys carry a lot of privilege, but low-income white guys don't feel like they do and that nobody cares. A lot of privilege comes from money/social class.

Yeah, I've been thinking about the same issues quite a lot. This is one of those places where intersectionality comes in and can be useful, although I get how the term itself is probably alienating to some people. In my own family, there are significant differences in terms of income and class level and so I see a lot of the ways that privilege and class are linked in ways that lock out low income whites, and I see how often those same people assert their racial privileges as a way to compensate for their economic losses and hardship.