Fun with Charts: What Employers Are Looking For in Job Interviews

Job interviews are annoying and stressful. But when you really look at what happens in an interview, there isn't much to be worried about. Interviewers act like they can really evaluate a person they just talked to for an hour, but this is really all they see.

A Post About Kings, Pelicans, Hornets, and Jazz: NBA Name-Swapping

Today's match-up between the New Orleans Hornets and the Sacramento Kings seemed to be a game just like any other. And while the game itself was pretty standard, breaking off-the-court news made it unique. It now appears likely that neither team will exist in its current form next season.

Last month, the Hornets made headlines when they announced a possible name change to the New Orleans Pelicans. And today's reports indicate the Kings have been sold to a group of investors that will move the team to Seattle (pending league approval).

Obviously, this is good news for Seattle fans, bad news for Sacramento fans, and somewhat confusing news for New Orleans fans. I think this should have implications for a few other cities around the country, as well.

There are a lot of reasons why a team should change names when it moves to a new city. For one, it gives them a chance to distance themselves from the city they screwed over (think Cleveland Browns -> Baltimore Ravens). The Hornets decided to keep their name when they moved from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2001. So, they've been rubbing it in Charlotte fans' faces for over a decade. Better late than never.

Secondly, it allows them to choose a more locally-appropriate name that creates a connection to the new city. In some occasions, it makes just as much sense to keep a team's name in the new city too (e.g. San Diego -> Houston Rockets, Milwaukee -> Atlanta Braves), but this is rare. Other times, the name doesn't make sense in relation to the new city, but they keep it anyway. The Lakers moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, which is certainly not known for its lakes. The Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, where there is no significant horse-breeding/racing legacy. The Grizzlies moved from Vancouver to Memphis, where there are no grizzly bears. And the Jazz moved from New Orleans to Salt Lake City, where there is no jazz. Obviously, there are plenty of examples, but it's still not a great idea to take a name with a team when it moves - it just doesn't make much sense. 

When the Expos moved from Montreal to Washington D.C., they made the right choice by becoming the Washington Nationals. Previously, the Washington Senators had moved twice, becoming the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. The Hartford Whalers changed to the Carolina Hurricanes when they moved to Raleigh. And the Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers. All of these changes made a lot more sense. Pelicans clearly aren't the first things that come to mind when you think of New Orleans, but they are the state birds of Louisiana. So, that's something, at least.

Additionally, a name change creates a clean break that can be used to make a complete overhaul. It opens the door for new colors, new uniforms, new momentum, and new history. The Hornets have tweaked their uniforms slightly by continuing the recent war on purple (see also: Milwaukee Bucks, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Raptors), but the jerseys are still very closely tied to how they looked in Charlotte. If they want to go a different route, now is their chance. Plus, a new look is a good way to highlight a change in a team's fortunes. Now that the team in New Orleans is on the rise, their new appearance can signal their newly-established relevance and bright future.

So, it makes sense for New Orleans to get a new name, and Seattle should too (there's no reason to be excited about a Seattle Kings squad). In this case, however, Seattle will get its old name back. The reason the Kings are going to Seattle is because Seattle's previous team was stolen in 2008. And because that team's owners changed the name from the SuperSonics to the Thunder when they moved to Oklahoma City, they left the old name behind. So, to the delight of Sonics fans, their new team will look just like the one they grew up loving.

This is the way it should be. Think of how mad Cleveland fans would be watching the Baltimore Browns in the Super Bowl after being forced to cheer on the Cleveland Barons (or whatever they would have to call their expansion team) all season. If an owner is going to relocate a team, the least he can do is leave the name behind so the city can reuse it and start over. 

This gentleman's rule hasn't always been followed, but it's never too late to make up for past crimes. So, here's my proposal: if a relocated team has yet to win a championship in its current city, the name is up for grabs. If the original city wants the name back, they can have it.

What does that mean? Well, for one, it means Minnesota won't be getting the Lakers back. But, it does allow for a decent shake-up. Now that Seattle is getting their Sonics back, the Hornets name should also return to Charlotte. The fans will surely be happy to get rid of the Bobcats (which is a horribly generic name) and forget that the last few seasons ever happened. New Orleans won't even be using the name, so no one gets hurt. With that said, New Orleans should make another move of its own. While I'm on board with the Pelicans name, the New Orleans Jazz certainly sounds more appropriate. The Utah Jazz had a lot of success in the 90s, but they weren't able to win a title. So, it's on them to create a new name - New Orleans gets the old one. Even Milwaukee and Philadelphia can get in on the fun. If they feel like being jerks, the Bucks could change their names to the Hawks (who left Milwaukee way back in 1955). And although Golden State won a title in 1975, Philadelphia would certainly have an argument if they wanted to take back the Warriors name. They won the first league championship in Philadelphia in 1947, and won a total of two titles there.

I'm not sure what they would call the new teams in Utah, Atlanta, and Oakland, but truthfully, I don't know much about those places. I'm sure they could come up with something. And if nothing else, this rule will create a sense of urgency for teams like the Grizzlies... if Vancouver ever gets another team, the name is going back up north.

How "It's a Wonderful Life" Should Have Ended

Sorry, I know this is a little dark (I swear I've actually been in a pretty good mood lately) - I just really hate this movie. I don't understand why people like it so much. Let's break it down:
     -  First, the protagonist gives up on his dreams
     -  Then, his life falls apart
     -  So, he attempts suicide
     -  He decides not to go through with it
     -  The townsfolk give him a pile of small bills
     -  And he returns to his miserable life
What's uplifting about this?

Rule to live by: If it isn't claymation, it isn't a Christmas movie.

California to London in 5 Hours? Yep

How do you leave California, stop in Orlando, Warsaw, Versailles, and Paris, and get to London in 5 hours? Just stay in Kentucky.

Sure, a lot of cities borrow their names from famous international locations, but this is ridiculous. They're basically all on the same road. It's like Kentucky is saying, "Hey! Where y'all goin'? No need to go anywhere else - I got everything you want right here."

PS - No one is reading this anyway, but I still feel bad about not posting anything in 5 weeks. I've been crazy busy lately, so I had to take some time off. My bad.

Narwhal Problems: Reluctant Sharing

My recent lack of blog activity has caused some serious self-loathing, so it feels good to finally get back on the horse. And what better way to get back into a regular blogging habit than with a narwhal comic? Right? 

Moral of the comic: If your fork is attached to your forehead and you don't have arms, you better learn how to share.

Tebow Mania: Falling For the Bait

After weeks of needless Tebow talk (e.g. Should he replace Mark Sanchez? Are they wasting his talent? Could he save the Jets? Did he take his shirt off?), the Jets (sans Tebow) finally gave a convincing performance last Sunday. That should quiet the speculation for at least one week, right? 

Wrong. If there isn't any Tebow news, people make Tebow news. All you need is a reporter willing to ask the ridiculous Tebow-related question, an attention-hungry coach (Rex Ryan) to respond with something like, "That's a possibility," and you have yourself 500 words of front-page news. ...Front-page news that will trap suckers like me.

Ann Romney Finds Mitt's Binders Full of Women

I don't really want to get too political on here, but I thought I should try to do something topical/relevant for a change.  I think I already missed the binder bandwagon though.  I draw too slowly... people are already moving on to other things, like this.

The Next Rosetta Stone

Of course it's tasty, but Sriracha is also the most worldly (and wordy) of all food products. With six different languages displayed on the bottle, I can't help but think it will serve a greater purpose someday.

In Defense of Bud Light: A Drinker's Manifesto

A lot of cool things are happening these days – organic foods are suddenly accessible, locally-owned stores and restaurants are hugely popular, talented people are becoming successful on the internet without waiting to be discovered, and microbrews outnumber the big brands at most new bars I see. In some areas, it seems creativity and quality now mean more than brand names and low prices. Suddenly, the underdogs have a shot against the corporate juggernauts.

            However, the same thing that feeds and nurtures these movements can also be what limits their appeal. To promote a grass-roots movement, you need a passionate, loyal, and outspoken support base. A strong core of vocal followers is necessary to spread the word and expand. But if these followers take things too far, they risk alienating the outsiders that are needed for growth. Supporting a movement is a delicate balancing act because it introduces the risk of violating the only two rules in this world:

1.    Everything in moderation.

2.    Don’t be a dick.

If you’re all about healthy foods, you have to understand that I, like most people, want Taco Bell and Pizza Rolls every now and then. If you’re into indie movies, you can’t give me a shitty look when I tell you I’m renting The Expendables 2 as soon as it comes out on Blu-Ray. And if you’re a fan of good beer, get off my ass when I order a Bud Light.

Don’t get me wrong – I like good beer, I just choose not to buy it on most occasions. Unfortunately, the best bars and restaurants are the most pretentious about beer selection. As a result, I've recently been faced with bartenders, waitresses, and other clowns who give me shit every time I order a Bud Light.

And so we return to the fanaticism issue. It’s ok to tell people that better beer choices exist, but when they decide to buy a cheap beer, leave them alone. When I get judged by a bartender or a co-worker because of my selection, I want to tell him I’m not stupid, or cheap, or uncultured. In fact, I used to drink good beer too. He may have just discovered the good stuff, but I’ve already gone through that phase.

When I could finally afford microbrews after college, I bought them all the time. I tried new beers every week, and most of them tasted great. However, I eventually decided it was time for a downgrade. When I switched to Bud Light, I had no idea I'd meet so much resistance. I didn't know I'd have to defend my selection. But, since I do, here it is...

Why I drink Bud Light:

1.    I know exactly how many I can drink.

·         It’s simple – if you stick with what you know, you’ll never be surprised. Even if I don’t feel it yet, I can think about how many I’ve had and know how drunk I’ll be when it hits me. Once you start trying new beers with varying alcohol content, an unexpected drunken night is bound to happen.

2.    I can drink it all night.

·         If I want to start early and drink until the bar closes, I don’t even need to slow down. If you want to do that with craft beers, good luck. I bet a few breaks will be necessary.

3.    It doesn’t give me a hangover.

·         When I drink a bunch of heavy beers all night, I’m going to wake up feeling like I was smacked with a brick. After a long night of Bud Lights, I may not feel amazing, but it’s a lot better than the alternative.

4.    I save money.

·         I’m not cheap, but it doesn’t make sense to spend extra money unless it produces additional benefits. Sure, craft beers taste better. And if I’m trying to be classy or I’m having a good dinner, it’s worth the money. Otherwise, no way. Same result (i.e. drunk), same amount of fun, much smaller (by 25-50%) bill.

5.    I’m left out of douchey beer conversations.

·        Does the brewery only make 20 kegs a year and require a blood oath to obtain it? Did the brewmaster wrestle a shark and rescue a 17th century pirate’s lost recipe? Fine, that sounds interesting. Otherwise, I don’t give a shit. I’ll be over here, talking to someone else.

I'm just saying there's room for all kinds. I hope the good beers keep coming; just remember to drink and let drink.

Easy Sports Predictions: Oregon's Random Drug Testing Plan

On Thursdsay, the University of Oregon announced that they will be instituting a new drug testing program, after ESPN reported the widespread marijuana use by the school's football players. This is certainly a noble idea, but there's no way this ends well. Right?