just now i'm reading in an ubuntu forum that it is (sometimes?) required to run the following command after resuming:

after issuing that command, the pulseaudio card appeared in the alsamixer. Unless it was a coincidence.

Anyway, the whole pulseaudio experience has been a pretty bad one for me so far. I prefer a system that just runs.

ryanpcmcquen with all do respect this is a serious no no.
This is like asking google to search google.
if your going to do that you need to set a default device in your /etc/pulse/default.pa.
Yes it will point it to the sound server but why.

if you want to set a default device for html5 because html5 looks only for hw;0,0
then set that default device with /etc/modprobe.d/sound.conf
yes you can create a .asoundrc. but the truth since about pulse audio 6.5
you really do not need to do that. just keep your alsa-plugin up to date.
set your alsactl store and then let the .config/pavucontrol.ini handle remembering the volume.

Have you looked at the current asound.conf?

Also, this isn't like asking Google to search Google, it is like asking ALSA to point to PulseAudio. I tried no /etc/asound.conf. Guess what? Sound works NOWHERE.

Please do not propose broken solutions.

BINGO!
I recall reading something in the "Upgrade Txt" My built-in-mike was not found until I removed the Executable from the rc.alsa file.