I tried to log in and watch the finale of True Detective last night, and my experience was what they described here: a spinning beach ball. Thanks for nothing, HBO.
This week, Mr. Scout found a deal for me: a Blichman 8 gallon brew kettle with a thermometer and ball valve built in. I was considering buying a thermometer and drilling a hole into my existing pot, but this was too good to pass up.
It goes on for quite a bit at the end, but I dare you to resist the groove. Just what I needed on a crunch Friday.
One author’s take on living in Baltimore, with added commentary and response from a host of contributors.
I’m tired of hearing about incompetent city leaders who are more fixated on hosting the Grand Prix than dealing with thousands of vacant buildings that create massive slums, and rampant crime.
I’ve spent the last week or two reviewing resumes for a new position at work, and I’m exhausted with the whole process. On one hand, the software we are using feels like it was written by trolls in 1998 specifically to abuse my carpal tunnel issues. Clearly the company responsible for it has never hired a UX or interface designer; every simple operation takes at least five clicks and a roadmap to get to.
On the other hand, the applicants we’ve been getting have been underwhelming. There have been standouts in the group, and we’ve contacted them, but the vast majority have clearly never read one of the thousands of How To Apply For A Job articles that litter the internet. So after reviewing 50 resumes this morning, here’s my unscientific list, in no order:
- This is a design position. You should list your portfolio URL at the top of your resume, somewhere in close proximity to your name. It should be in your cover letter too. Don’t make me Google your name, because I won’t—you’ve already been dumped in the “NO” pile.
- Buy a domain name and host your own portfolio. www.college.edu/portfolio/spanky57 is not a professional URL to pass out. You fail, because it shows me you’re not taking yourself seriously.
- Along those same lines, your email address should be something professional.
- This kind of goes without saying, but…don’t copy and paste the cover letter you wrote to that other job into the form field for this job. That’s just embarrassing. Check your work.
- The position I posted is clearly described as a print design job. Show me print design, or don’t apply.
- Something they don’t teach you in college is that good writers make good designers. If your cover letter doesn’t show me you’ve even done even a little research on my organization, you won’t get far. One sentence can go a long way.
- When you proudly point out that you coded and designed your portfolio website, be sure to change the <title> to something other than PORTFOLIO TEMPLATE.
- Speaking of portfolios, please keep the fancy navigation to a minimum. Your work had better be damned good if I’m going to fight your website to see it.
- If you insist on using PDFs to showcase your work, make them web-ready, please. It won’t disqualify you, but it’s goddamned annoying.
- If the job description clearly says Graphic Designer, don’t list your title as Desktop Publisher. That’s a bit like saying you’re qualified to fly a plane because you play Microsoft Flight Simulator.
I am really liking Beck’s Morning Phase. It’s not Sea Change, but there’s a clear progression from the first album to the second.
Saturday morning we took Finn to soccer practice in a new facility close to our house; what used to be a 7-Up distributor’s warehouse is now filled with two indoor soccer fields for rental and two teams’ worth of sweaty high school lacrosse players. We signed her up for a kids’ intro class, and it turned out that we have several friends who had the same idea, so we got to stand around with other parents we know while the kids ran in circles. She took a class at her last school, so we were proud to see her kicking and actually dribbling the ball—until she got bored and decided to go off and do her own thing. Hopefully we can get it through her head that practice will make things more fun for her down the line.
After we were done with soccer we hit the IKEA to pick up one more bookshelf for the den, with the hope of consolidating all of the toys, art supplies, and other stuff that’s been clogging the living room, office, and den. With the big bookcase in the living room free of toys, we were able to uncover the entire collection of books we’ve collected from the library liquidation at her school. It’s really amazing how many good books Jen was able to save, and I hope that Finn takes to reading as much as I did as a kid.
Over the course of our Saturday errands in the CR-V, it became loudly apparent the passenger’s rear brake pads were grinding on the rotor, so I hit the parts store to buy a new set for the back half. It’s just enough of a project that I didn’t want to attempt it this afternoon with 6-12″ of snow on the immediate horizon, so I loaded the parts in the back and parked it behind the Accord until we can dig out this week. On my way to the store I guesstimated the amount of gas in the Scout and came up about 50′ short, stalling out on an incline within spitting distance of a pump. After borrowing a gas can, priming the carb, and standing on the brake, I got her started again. This being the second time it’s happened in two months (the first being directly across the street from our driveway in the middle of the road), I’m getting impatient to sort out the fuel gauge and tank problems in the spring. Hopefully, a long-awaited hydro boost brake conversion will give me more than 10′ of stopping power (both brakes and steering are powered, so when the engine cuts out so do my options for direction and stopping).
Over the last couple of weekday evenings, I got both speakers rewired, mounted, and tested. Sunday I cut out and glued in 1/2″ corner supports around all the seams, then sealed the front edges and nailed them into place. They sound good! I’m still unsure as to how I’m going to finish the outsides off; I could wrap them completely in Tolex or speaker carpet, but I’m not sure yet.
Our soccer player was on the couch sick today, after waking to an upset stomach and then throwing up several times over the course of the day. She got to spend the day in front of the TV, which was good for her, but hasn’t eaten a thing all day, which is unlike her. At about 7:30 she turned on her side and fell asleep on the couch next to Jen, something that is VERY unlike her. She’s running a fever, so we’ll keep a close eye on her tomorrow.
Tonight we’ll hunker down, tuck the girl into bed, watch some good TV (Downton Abbey and True Detective), maybe sip a beer, and wait to see what the weather brings us tomorrow morning. Just when the lawn was almost clear again too.
I got some time to plug the tire this weekend, after hitting YouTube to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. It went very smoothly, and the tire is holding strong. I hit the tread with some white paint so I know where the plug went in if it does start leaking again. While I had a little time, I moved the fire extinguisher out of the console, where it does no good locked up, to the base of the driver’s seat.
On Sunday I took her for a spin to the parts store, and misjudged the amount of gas I had in the tank (again). I was coming up on the gas station on the way into Ellicott City and felt the engine quit; I hoped I’d have enough rolling energy to get up the hill and next to the pump, but had to brake while a woman in an SUV blocked my path. So there I was, stalled on an incline, with no brakes and no steering. I cranked the emergency brake down, put it in gear, and went to borrow a gas can.
So: what comes first for the spring? Drop the gas tank and fix the sender for good, or hydroboost?
→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.