137 thoughts on “April 25, 2012: It’s Back”

  1. Effin' cover letters. There needs to be a "I'm from the Upper Midwest" section on these forms where you can opt out of talking yourself up.

    1. Jobs applied for in Buffalo and NOLA (among others). Should interviews happen, I look forward to meeting up with people if possible.

        1. Ditto. If you're NOLA I'm sure that we can find a way to kill some time and brain cells.

    2. I mailed out 31 cover letters yesterday. That's a lot of follow-up calls I'm going to have to make.

      1. (This will save you some time. Copy and paste.)

        Hello _____,

        I received your rejection letter. After careful review and consideration, I regret to inform you that your rejection has not been selected. While you are clearly qualified to reject me, I have found other companies that are a better fit for rejection at this time.

        Thank you for your time and efforts in completely wasting hours of my life with your soul crushing application process. I appreciate the energy you put forth in discovering new ways to completely waste everyone’s time.

        Best of luck in your future rejections.

        Sincerely,

        ___________

      2. Good luck to the both of you...I hope this job search method is more effective for you than it has been for me.

        1. It "worked" for Sheenie about 5 years ago (as in, got her hired at a place where she was ridiculously miserable for two years but allowed her to jump to a much more fulfilling position).

          1. When I was coming out of college, I sent out 200 resumes/cover letters. I got 3 interviews and 1 job offer. One of the interviews was based on the person recognizing my last name and assuming he knew me. Another was based on me knowing his son's girlfriend. I don't really think it mattered what I had on the letter or resume beyond my name.

            1. What 'nad's not telling you here is that he was trying to get hired as a Chippendale, so the numbers really aren't that weird.

              (Seriously, though, that sounds as much fun as auditioning for a real, honest-to-gosh paid role)

      3. I ended up applying to more than 100 jobs out of law school. It blew chunks. Especially since it seemed like 98% of my class had jobs locked down after first year. At least you can take solace in knowing that no one can find jobs now.

        Is 'solace' the word?

    3. There needs to be a "I'm from the Upper Midwest" section on these forms where you can opt out of talking yourself up.
      You do mention where you got your HS diploma, right? They should take that into consideration. Too bad you don't have a Scandanavian name.

      1. There needs to be a "I'm from the Upper Midwest" section on these forms where you can opt out of talking yourself up.

        I think CH brought up a similar point about applying for grad school. It's nice to know that being boastful isn't part of our collective consciousness.

        1. It's nice to know that being boastful isn't part of our collective consciousness.

          Actually, it's only nice to know if you're from the Upper Midwest.

        2. I got used to it because cockiness is generally a quality that can get a person cast (because the only other option in our business tends to be people full of self-loathing and self-doubt, and even if they're good, they tend to be a drainer on morale). It didn't come easily. I was the self-defeating guy for a long time.

          1. When I was looking for jobs in D.C. the "don't brag about yourself" thing probably cost me a ton of opportunities. Somewhere along the line I figured it out.

            1. My current company "helped" me a lot in this regard, too. Every promotion I got came from shamelessly relating the stories of every one of my sales successes.

              Then they eliminated the position in which I was making a lot of money right after my daughter was born and we figured out that she needed a $1000 shot every month for her first six months to keep living. That was fun.

            2. There's a difference between being honest about your abilities and bragging. I know that I'm talented, and I have proof to back it up, but I don't throw it in people's faces.
              What I'm referring to here is that it's often difficult to expound on my expertise when writing job applications, not that I'm so self deprecating that I talk my way out of jobs. I like that I was raised in a self-aware family, and I think that environment makes folks from our region generally more compassionate and thoughtful.

              1. Self-marketing conflicts with Minnesota Nice. I've dealt with a lot of professional self-marketers over the years, both in academia and in the gubmint sector. It still grates on me to see people who are incompetent at their jobs getting opportunities for which they are incompetent largely because of their ability/willingness to spin and schmooze.

                1. I absolutely hate that. I've been passed over for positions that would be perfect for me for this exact reason.

                2. I am really bad at schmoozing. I know I need to spend less time doing my job and more time telling the right people how good of a job I do but it really just isn't in my DNA.

    4. This is yet another reason I feel blessed: unless something unexpected happens, I will never have to send out resumes and such again. I'm quite happy serving small churches in small towns, and have no desire to move up the ranks. If the conference just forgot about me and left me where I am the rest of my career, I'd be good with that.

        1. Right now, I think they'd be good with it, too. Of course, it's still less than a year since I moved here.

      2. speaking of modesty from the pulpit, I'll be discussing Pillars of the Earth in Monday's book post.

    5. I'm with you brother. It's weird talking up pursuing a career as a baseball umpire as a highly desirable attribute for academia.

  3. Holy cow!!!! I just heard that Todd McShay made a change in the top five of his mock draft!!!!

    3. On my (was it only four hours) drive this morning, I was listening to Mike & Mike go on and on about Todd McShay's mock draft and even heard from Mr. McShay himself. Pastor, I know you are jealous.

  4. The Twins are now 70-123 (including the postseason) since clinching the division in 2010. That's a .323 "winning" percentage.

    1. Socal, you're supposed to be the undeterrably positive one!
      Point out how their Pythagorean record over that time is 80-113*, so they've actually just been quite unlucky, and should progress to their natural winning percentage of .415

      *made-up

      1. Yeah, but over the course of 150 or so games the true winning percentage becomes more of a predictor than the pythag, so even if the pythag was 123-70 it wouldn't mean much.

        What I'm saying is that the Twins are bad.

        But go Twins!

        2. It was either the Twins or my unrelenting negativity by way of the Twins, so either way its their fault.

    2. That's a .323 .363 "winning" percentage. FTFM. That's still awful. It is worse than any single season in Twins history.

  5. i saw somewhere (can't remember where though) that there's a free mlb.tv game on tonight. is TK still supposed to be in the booth?

        1. I dunno dude. My father-in-law raises beef cattle. I've seen it when those things get pissed off; it's pretty dangerous.

      2. what, what?

        I get no respect around here. A perfectly good joak wasted (heh) on you pedestrians.

    1. I had friends who would down mouthwash to get a buzz back in the day. I really wasn't that desperate.

      1. i was an acquaintance of a fellow would frequently engage in robo-tripping. all his friends called him "downer".

        1. Yeah, I had friends who enjoyed robo-tripping, but like the mouthwash buzz I couldn't be bothered.

              1. heh, i worked in an ice cream store, and the managers were always complaining about full cans with no gas.

    2. Despite what the guys in detox will tell you, wood alcohol can not be rendered potable by filtering it through a loaf of French bread.

    1. That is a whole new level of ineptitude. The fact it happened with Ozzie's Marlins means we are all in for a treat of a Dugout.

  12. Cristiano Ronaldo just scored a penalty for Real Madrid. 1-0 in this match, 2-2 on aggregate. Right now Real Madrid are through on their away goal in Munich.

    1. A second for C. Ronaldo. 3-2 to RM on aggregate inside 15 minutes. If Bayern can get one back it's all level on score and away goals.

          1. Bayern Munich would have a major advantage in the final since it's at their home stadium.

            1. Previous CL Finals at a home stadium:
              Roma: 1984 [Lost]
              Inter Milan: 1965 [Won]
              Real Madrid: 1957 [Won]

              Close-ish/At least the same country
              Manchester United @ Wembley: 2011 [Lost]
              Juve (Turin) @ Rome: 1996 [Won]
              Barcelona @ Sevilla: 1986 [Lost]
              Liverpool @ Wembley: 1978 [Won]
              Ajax (Amsterdam) @ Rotterdam: 1972 [Won]
              Manchester United @ Wembley: 1968 [Won]

    1. Zach Lowe had him #4 on his hypothetical MVP ballot, preceded by LBJ, CP3, and KD, and followed by Tony Parker.

      1. My main man David Thorpe on putting Love on his all-NBA team:

        Thorpe: Kevin Love. Not only did Love anchor one of the biggest surprise teams through 60 percent of the season, but he discovered that he can do much more than dominate the glass and the 3-point line. Love has learned to score against one man and double-teams, and looks to be a legit contender for league MVP honors as early as next season. (Second: Dirk Nowitzki; third: Blake Griffin)

        Thorpe hits on something that hasn't been talked about enough. Love can now score in close and against double teams, something he absolutely could not do a couple of years ago.

        1. I love Love, but am I the only one that is a little disappointed that he didn't get in better shape earlier in his career?

          I am not saying that I would have been mature enough at 19 to do so but it seems like if you are getting paid to be a professional, you owe it to your team to be in the best shape you can be.

          Thats not to say he would have been this good sooner but he might have been closer to it if he had been in better shape.
          That's

          1. I'm paid to be a professional social worker, yet I don't do everything it takes to be the best I can be all the time. I don't always try my hardest. I don't always take advantage of every learning opportunity. I don't always get enough sleep. Would that change if I had the potential to make millions doing what I do? I don't know.

            1. I think it is hard to compare an NBA player to most any other profession. You have to be elite at what you do to even get to that level.

              Do I expect most people to absolutely live up to their full potential in their careers? No. Would I expect an elite professional? Yes.

              (None of this is aimed at you, Beau.)

              1. Out of curiosity, why do expect that?

                The head of my company spent 26 years going from part-time cashier to CEO. Then he had some inappropriate relationships and resigned in disgrace.

                It's not the same thing, but my point is, being really good at something doesn't make you a good person, or even an ambitious one. I've been good at things I don't care about before. My orchestra teacher was furious with me because I was the best natural violinist he'd ever seen and I had no interest in getting better. But, I hated the violin. Hated it.

                I'm probably off the rails here, but I'm getting a little drunk.

                1. I'm not saying I expect Love to be a great guy (although it seems like he is). I'm just saying there is a level of dedication that it takes to be elite.

                  Look at other elite athletes - track & field, soccer, etc. I would describe very few of them as "pudgy." I think you could have used that term to describe Love his first couple years in the NBA.

                  I had no idea he could be this good. I don't think others did either. I don't think he would have ever been this good had he not gotten in such great shape.

                  Do you really think it is asking too much for a professional athlete to be in really good shape?

                  Don't get me wrong. I love Kevin Love. He is my favorite player in the NBA and I hope he and Rubio become the next Malone and Stockton.

                  I have the same criticisms of Hrbek although it was later in his career, not early in his career. Look at Hrbek's career. Only once did he play more than 132 games after age 28. (I know I have strayed here but at least I didn't talk about the violin! 🙂 )

                  1. I wonder if he didn't get some mixed advice regarding what shape he should be in. It could be that some people were telling him to put on weight so he wouldn't get pushed around and only recently he was told that they wanted him to be more lean. I absolutely wouldn't swear to this, but it does make me wonder.

          3. This is what, his fourth year? He's 23. He's not even to his peak years yet. Maybe he should have dropped some weight earlier, but with the way he was getting yanked around by Rambis I'm going to be a little more understanding of Love not being driven to excel during those years. Plus, compared to how some other NBA players treated the strike (I'm looking at you, Boris Diaw), I'd say Love did some excellent work in the offseason.
            Also, check out KLove's wiki page- lots of funny going on.

            Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and he's considered the best player of all time.

            He's also the best three point shooter in the history of basketball, being better than Reggie Miller, Ray Allen and even the Great Shaq. Kevin Love is a beast under the basket and you never want to piss him off because he's gonna show you how to play.

            1. His scoring rate (PPM), PER, and WS/48 have gone up every season. I'd suggest that that is evidence that he has been working hard on his body and his game. There isn't a quality player in NBA history who was the best he was ever going to be as a rookie.

            2. I thought this was interesting:

              Love's decision to play for the Bruins brought animosity from fans of the University of Oregon, his father's alma mater, where it was expected he would play. Prior to a game at Oregon, Ducks fans obtained Love's cell phone number and left obscene messages as well as death threats; the fans also subjected Love's family to obscenities and threw garbage at them during the game.

              It's the passion that makes college basketball so great.

  14. we had our first offer on the house today. It's from the folks who really, really want to buy, but they screwed up the closing date. We need to close after July 29 and they put May 23 in. We've rejected the offer with a notice of why, and stated that we'll be happy to entertain another offer if they'll agree to close on our timeline. I'm certain this will work out, but it's nerve wracking. If everything goes to plan, we may even make enough off this house to go out to a fancy dinner or two.

  16. Balfour comes in to save for the A's in the top of the ninth of a 2-1 game against the White Sox.

    First pitch? Fastball destroyed by Claudorko to tie it up 2-2.

    1. Prior to today, he was 5-5 on saves, with an 0.82 ERA. One run allowed (on a jacked donger) in 11 innings, 7:2 K:BB.

  17. Tonight's lineup without Wheeling Ham:

    1. Denard Span, CF
    2. Jamey Carroil, SS
    3. Joe Mauer, C
    4. Justin Morneau, DH
    5. Chris Parmelee, 1B
    6. Trevor Plouffe, RF
    7. Sean Burroughs, 3B
    8. Ben Revere, LF
    9. Alexi Casilla, 2B
    Liam Hendriks, RHP

    Plouffe in RF with Doumit on the bench against a hard-throwing righty?

    1. A left-handed reliever is going to mow through that lineup. Carroll, Plouffe, Burroughs, and Casilla would be the only right-handed batters and none inspire much confidence.

        1. I thought he batted from both sides! Right now, I don't think there's much difference though.

  18. I heard on the radio this morning that Forbes released its annual list of ten most influential professional athletes (cannot be retired).

    No baseball players. Six QBs (Tebow #2 overall!!!). One NBA player. Can you name him? Hint: it's not Kevin McHale, but just about as laughable.

    Spoiler SelectShow

    1. Has Forbes confused "influential" with "dude we remembered when putting together the list"?

    2. I really need to plant the Forbes Fantasy Football issue in the hands of everyone in my league next year.

    1. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*

      *I'm saying boo-ray.

    6. Congratulations. You don't have to give details if you don't want to, but I suspect we'd all be interested.

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