LOCAL NEWS Sandwich Board Resume
I saw something very interesting on my way back from lunch with Chelsey Tuesday afternoon. There was a woman standing in front of the Chase bank on LaSalle with a sandwich board on. The sandwich board read like a resume. I didn't have enough time to read it, but it included things like: "Can type [X] words per minute," "Have experience with [X]," and "Please ask me for resume." As Chelsey and I walked to her office, we mused about the effectiveness of such an approach. It reeked of both desperation and innovation. If it was me, I don't think I would hire anyone I saw on the street with a sign saying, basically, "Please hire me!" Chelsey pointed out that some people might admire the innovation and taking the initiative. I guess my question to you all: Is a sandwich board resume smart or tacky? And what does this tell us about the state of employment/unemployment in this country when business professionals resort to the same sort of pandering that you have historically seen from the "unskilled labor." It doesn't look good.
VIDEO GAMES Madden Nation TV Show More Sad Than Cool
I spent some time watching ESPNs show "Madden Nation" recently. For those of you not familiar with the show, it's a Madden football national tournament. I was "fortunate" enough to see the final eight matches... including the $100,000 championship game. I don't think you heard me... the $100,000 championship game of Madden '06... the video game. I guess this is where it starts making sense that these young men (I can't imagine any of them--except the guy from Denver who looked like he was in his 40s--being older than 25) behaved the way they did. They were acting all the fool! There was yelling, jawing, trash talking, jumping, screaming, controller throwing... it was ridiculous. And they were playing a video game. Granted, I love Madden (and NCAA Football, for whatever that's worth), but I don't get that emotional about it. And I most certainly don't think that being better at it makes me any better than someone who's not as good at it. I guess my point is that, if you have the chance to watch Madden Nation... don't.
PERSONAL Broken Glasses!
I was doing dishes today (as is my normal routine) and I broke a glass. You know that feeling you get when you break a dish... you're kind of like "Oh, I could I used that... it was clean" and you're kind of disappointed in yourself for letting it happen? You don't? Well... that's how I feel when I break a glass. My next thought is always "Better make sure I get all the broken glass up"... and then I spend some time looking for all the broken glass pieces. As I was lamenting the breaking of the first glass, another glass slipped from my hand and cracked. Two glasses! In one day! After hours of literally (read: figuratively) bawling over the lost production, I finished my dishes and wrote a dirge entitled "When Flowers Turn To Dust: To Dishes Lost."
PERSONAL New Apartment Lease Would Be $1,000
I got word of my new lease today. The price, as the title says, would be a grand a month. For everyone who has ever been to my apartment, a solid K per month is laughable. My apartment is a box with a bathroom and a small kitchen hooked on... and anyone will to pay $12,000 a year for it must be desperate. As desperate as, say, I was when I moved to Chicago. Before, moving in with Chelsey was an attractive possibility but now--as I most certainly will not be staying--it's a necessity. Hopefully, after I get steady employment, Chelsey and I can start talking about finding a place which will be "our" place... because, up to this point, she stays at my place or I stay at hers: neither apartment feels like ours yet. That will, hopefully, change come April.