*** VD 13 Commentary Thread ***

[The Feral Slasher]

I thought about this about 5 years ago and wrote down that I need to play catch with my brother. The other thing I wrote down is that my brother and I need to go to the park and find some swings and spit ice chunks at each other. Hoping I can do both before it is too late.

I think stuff like this is way more important than job interviews and crap like that....I just need to make sure it happens while I have the chance

[The Feral Slasher]

Back in my youth I would bounce a rubber baseball (which I think I got from sending in some UPC symbols from a cereal box or something) off the back porch steps and then attempt to field it. I had a whole set of rules on what different outcomes meant, and I would play a whole game and keep track of outs and baserunners in my head.

this sounds exactly like the stuff I did as a kid. Those were the days....

[The Feral Slasher]

Back in my youth I would bounce a rubber baseball (which I think I got from sending in some UPC symbols from a cereal box or something) off the back porch steps and then attempt to field it. I had a whole set of rules on what different outcomes meant, and I would play a whole game and keep track of outs and baserunners in my head.

the first MLB game I went to was from UPC/proof of purchase stuff from Kelly's potato chips. 10 bags of chips got you a ticket, if I recall. my mom took my brother and I to Wrigley field. I was living in a town of about 3000 people far from any big city so going to Chicago and seeing a Major League game was a pretty big deal.

[The Feral Slasher]

Maybe three years ago or so? I used to play catch pretty regularly with my son, but we don't really do that anymore.

I do have two baseballs sitting on my desk, for what that's worth.

so I called my brother after this...he says he doesn't have a glove anymore so I'm going to get him a glove for Christmas. need to get ready for spring training

[Bene Futuis]

so when was the last time any of you got out your glove and actually played catch with a baseball ? I think it was about 15 years for me if you count softball. Haven't swung a bat in that long as well. Maybe I need to go the batting cage

Last year with my son. He prefers I chuck nerf footballs as hard as I can right at his head instead of a nice game of catch, which is pretty odd. Still, I indulge him. The old man's still got it!

[The Feral Slasher]

Last year with my son. He prefers I chuck nerf footballs as hard as I can right at his head instead of a nice game of catch, which is pretty odd. Still, I indulge him. The old man's still got it!

that's awesome. I have two girls in college and neither one has had any interest in baseball since the obligatory T-ball year.

[Ken]

so when was the last time any of you got out your glove and actually played catch with a baseball ? I think it was about 15 years for me if you count softball. Haven't swung a bat in that long as well. Maybe I need to go the batting cage

I play softball every Tuesday night pretty much year round. I hit .700 this season


I’m terrrrrrrible on defense though.

[Bene Futuis]

that's awesome. I have two girls in college and neither one has had any interest in baseball since the obligatory T-ball year.

I think my kid finds baseball kind of boring but keeps playing to keep me pacified.

[The Feral Slasher]

I play softball every Tuesday night pretty much year round. I hit .700 this season


I’m terrrrrrrible on defense though.

I haven't played softball in about 10 years, basketball I gave up about 5 years ago. I really should get back into one of those or take up golf.

[Bene Futuis]

lol, I like your attitude. Wish I could pull that off. I am subject to the corporate processes of my overlord. I wasn't even going to apply for this job, but the hiring manager talked to my manager(same company and organization) and they asked me to. Because it is basically a job I did for years and years and they didn't have other good candidates apparently. But they have to follow the interview process.

Sooooo...we get to the interview and they tell me there are 5 questions and after the first question, I need to respond in a corporate approved format (don't get me started). So there is no flexibility, it is going thru a checklist of how I respond to the 4 pre-packaged questions. None of the interview has anything to do with my qualifications ...it is just about how I answer the questions which relate to recalling specific experiences and examples of how I am an amazing employee and leader. There were a few awkward period of silence. Honestly, I should have been silent for like 5-10 minutes, because there checklist doesn't have any penalty for delay of game. The whole interview was focused on how good of a BSer you are and how you can recall (or make up) great stories about yourself.

Anyway, the whole thing never really talked about my overall work experience and performance, but instead focused on me recalling anecdotes from my 30 years at this company. They didn't even ask anything about why I would be a good fit for the job, or how my experience would help me succeed in the position. It is apparently the process they need to follow, but what an incredible waste of time. Anyway, glad it's done and hope I don't have to suffer thru it again. Hopefully they aren't tracking my RJ account and reading this, lol

Honestly there was a breaking point for me. I was finishing up my MBA and looking for jobs. I had been the TA for the Business Ethics professor and got a line for an ethics officer job in Houston (red flag #1 - sorry to Texas bros here) working for a company that, in part, built bombs or some such horrible thing (red flag #2). They flew me out to Houston where I met with some fancy lady who spent the whole time bragging about herself and trying to casually drop trick ethics questions on me as we toured the place. There was a ton of international travel, which was cool, and the pay was waaaaaaay more than I'd ever made, which was much cooler.

I started off with the typical ass kissing "I would make a great addition to your team, you really are super neato, thankful for the opportunity, blah blah" bullshit. About halfway through the interminable interview process I realized that I hated the fucking business, couldn't stand this fucking lady, and would be betraying myself and my values by taking the job. A light went off in my head and I think I literally said "NEVER AGAIN" out loud, lol.

I told the lady that I thought she would be a nightmare to work for, that the company seemed to have no moral compass, and that while it was moderately ironic that I was applying for an ethics job in such a place, I had no intention of selling my soul like that. She looked shocked and made some snarky remark to me about some stupid fucking thing or other and I told her thanks for confirming my suspicions. I told her to call me a cab back to the airport (and make sure they paid for it, too). I even followed up with an email to her supervisor.


Employers aren't doing you a favor. This is an exchange of labor for compensation. Look out for yourself, because sure as shit that's exactly what they're doing.

Edit: Got a little too carried away at the end there.

[Bene Futuis]

The next job interview I had was one I was only moderately psyched about and it was the first time I employed the "no, I'm interviewing you" strategy. It went swimmingly and I got offered the job on the spot. I've used that strategy every single time since with almost exclusively good results. I also require that I meet with several other employees, ones I pick, and interview other employees, too, to see what they think of the job. I had one potential employer turn me down on that front and I walked.

[The Feral Slasher]

Honestly there was a breaking point for me. I was finishing up my MBA and looking for jobs. I had been the TA for the Business Ethics professor and got a line for an ethics officer job in Houston (red flag #1 - sorry to Texas bros here) working for a company that, in part, built bombs or some such horrible thing (red flag #2). They flew me out to Houston where I met with some fancy lady who spent the whole time bragging about herself and trying to casually drop trick ethics questions on me as we toured the place. There was a ton of international travel, which was cool, and the pay was waaaaaaay more than I'd ever made, which was much cooler.

I started off with the typical ass kissing "I would make a great addition to your team, you really are super neato, thankful for the opportunity, blah blah" bullshit. About halfway through the interminable interview process I realized that I hated the fucking business, couldn't stand this fucking lady, and would be betraying myself and my values by taking the job. A light went off in my head and I think I literally said "NEVER AGAIN" out loud, lol.

I told the lady that I thought she would be a nightmare to work for, that the company seemed to have no moral compass, and that while it was moderately ironic that I was applying for an ethics job in such a place, I had no intention of selling my soul like that. She looked shocked and made some snarky remark to me about some stupid fucking thing or other and I told her thanks for confirming my suspicions. I told her to call me a cab back to the airport (and make sure they paid for it, too). I even followed up with an email to her supervisor.


Employers aren't doing you a favor. This is an exchange of labor for compensation. Look out for yourself, because sure as shit that's exactly what they're doing. No one needs to feel like a little bitch in their job. No one should act like a bitch in order to enter into an employment transaction.

good stuff. In my industry there just aren't many employers so I just have to suck it up, not really alternatives for employment if don't want to move my family to another state. Fortunately I am represented by a union which I have come to appreciate more as time goes on. My complaints about stupid PR stuff are more an annoyance than a big issue, thankfully. Would really be interesting to actually have possibilities to move to another company.

[The Feral Slasher]

The next job interview I had was one I was only moderately psyched about and it was the first time I employed the "no, I'm interviewing you" strategy. It went swimmingly and I got offered the job on the spot. I've used that strategy every single time since with almost exclusively good results. I also require that I meet with several other employees, ones I pick, and interview other employees, too, to see what they think of the job. I had one potential employer turn me down on that front and I walked.

that would be great to have that option, my job and experience are so unique/limited that there is only one company in my state, and only a few in the world that would actually want to hire me. Maybe I am overestimating the number that would want to hire me, lol

[Bene Futuis]

that would be great to have that option, my job and experience are so unique/limited that there is only one company in my state, and only a few in the world that would actually want to hire me. Maybe I am overestimating the number that would want to hire me, lol

I think you're likely underselling yourself as well as the skillset you've developed over, what, 30 years in your industry? My wife thinks like you do and while it's true that opportunities are limited in her exact field, she has an insane amount of experience, training, and knowledge that will likely translate to any number of other jobs and job fields.

[heyelander]

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/

I'm subscribed here...