diff --git a/app/models/jobs/base.rb b/app/models/jobs/base.rb
index 717b0794e..bf576d523 100644
--- a/app/models/jobs/base.rb
+++ b/app/models/jobs/base.rb
@@ -5,5 +5,22 @@
 module Jobs
   class Base
     Dir["#{Rails.root}/app/models/jobs/mail/*.rb"].each {|file| require file }
+    
+    #TODO these should be subclassed real exceptions
+    DUMB_ERROR_MESSAGES = [
+      "Contact required unless request",
+      "Relayable object, but no parent object found" ]
+
+    def self.suppress_annoying_errors(&block)
+      begin
+        yield
+      rescue Exception => e
+        if DUMB_ERROR_MESSAGES.include?(e.message)
+          Rails.logger.error(e.message)
+        else
+          raise e
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
-end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/jobs/receive_encrypted_salmon.rb b/app/models/jobs/receive_encrypted_salmon.rb
index eda7e2e53..6c964be8d 100644
--- a/app/models/jobs/receive_encrypted_salmon.rb
+++ b/app/models/jobs/receive_encrypted_salmon.rb
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ module Jobs
     @queue = :receive_salmon
 
     def self.perform(user_id, xml)
-      user = User.find(user_id)
-      zord = Postzord::Receiver::Private.new(user, :salmon_xml => xml)
-      zord.perform!
+      suppress_annoying_errors do
+        user = User.find(user_id)
+        zord = Postzord::Receiver::Private.new(user, :salmon_xml => xml)
+        zord.perform!
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/resque.rake b/lib/tasks/resque.rake
index 8b582cbfe..fe3e5a16b 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/resque.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/resque.rake
@@ -7,3 +7,10 @@ end
 
 desc "Alias for resque:work (To run workers on Heroku)"
 task "jobs:work" => "resque:work"
+
+desc 'clear your failure queue in resque.  good for crons.'
+task 'resque:clear_failed' => [:environment]do
+  puts "clearing resque failures"
+  Resque::Failure.clear
+  puts "complete!"
+end