A New Job

Costanza was unemployed for the longest time and there was an episode where he sort of discusses job ideas with Jerome. Being a sportscaster was one of the jobs he wanted. Somehow, he was able to get a job with the Yankees and even scored a spacious office that was huge in The Opposite.

Now, I can't say that I scored a job as nice as his, but I did get a job that purports to be the happiest place on earth. I'm not at the actual happiest place, but at a division and so far everyone seems genuinely happy to be there. I haven't started work yet, but after an interview and a meet and greet, people still seem genuinely happy. It's a vast turnaround from my last job, where few people seemed happy at any given time, including my manager who was known to go on tirades. In fact, he went a bit nuts on some things like Costanza and I had a VP who talked just like Steinbrenner. The VP could never ever sit still. Always moving and asking a bunch of questions. He even had the salt and pepper hair.

Anyway, the work seems a bit complex to me and I'll definitely be learning as I go. I am sure I can do the job, but I hope I don't truly pull a Costanza and screw it all up somehow, like get traded to Paramount for some South Park huggable dolls or some such.

Gambling

I have a cousin (Gwen) who's married to a poker player, we'll call him Ray. She gambles herself and I'm not sure how good she is, but I do know her husband isn't. We also have an aunt (we'll call her Quatro) who is an addict and never, ever wins. She's lost hundreds of thousands.

Anyway, I got into it with Gwen about Ray's gambling and that he should go out and get a job because he sucks at gambling. Her argument? "He's a really good poker player. Ask anyone who he's ever played with and they'll all agree that he makes all the right decisions."

You know who else made all the right decisions but still got shot down? Iceman. "It's the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes. He wears you down, you get bored--frustrated--do something stupid and he's got ya." He still got shot down flying with no mistakes.

Also, asking the guys he always loses to whether Ray is good at gambling is dumb. If they see him as an easy kill, wouldn't they just say whatever is necessary so that he keeps feeding their kids?

Now, Gwen says that Ray is no Quatro. To me, he's worse. Quatro loses and loses all the time, and loses big all the time. We know she sucks and she should give it up. Ray may win a grand one day and drop 5 large the next. He is getting teased, giving him an idea that he may win. I liken this to being led on by a girl or guy. They never let you get to first, but may put a hand on your arm or flick their hair or something to give you the idea they may be interested. In the end, you just go home with blue balls.

Ray just needs to give it up.

Interview with a Recruiter

Got a call from a recruiter and I set up an interview with them. Put on my new suit that was tailor made from my last visit to China. I went in for 2 times for 2 suits. First fitting was the initial measurements and the second one was a fine tuning process. I hadn't tried either of them since the last fitting. My dad brought them back for me. What do you know? They fit, but not quite well. The sleeve of the left shoulder looks indented or something. Just doesn't have that "je ne sais quois" that comes with a well made suit.

I still went in with that suit, minus the inner vest. I always wanted a 3 piece suit and at $100 for a tailor made suit, this was a great chance to look like a banker at a fraction of the cost. Of course, that suit has that little flaw that you just don't know about until you try it on.

The recruiter is based in downtown Glendale, a sleepy little city in Los Angeles County. The downtown is going through some renovation, trying to capture some of the magic and feel of Old Town Pasadena, a 2 block haven for high end shopping (Tiffany's), semi high end stores (J. Crew), and motley collection of pubs, restaurants, and clubs. Surprisingly, the one theater they had, and movie theaters seem to be a big draw for revitalizing shopping centers these days, closed up shop and became the aforementioned Tiffany's.

Glendale is the middle of a transformation, trying to become a haven for young urbanites with excess cash in their hands. It's a very nice, clean downtown, but other than their one mall, no one really goes to Glendale. The city, for whatever reason, has become the home of a large Armenian population, much like the San Gabriel Valley has been taken over by Chinese people. It's incidentally my hood these days.

The recruiters office is on the 10th floor of a large, modern office building and eerily enough, was the same building where I had my "Boiler Room" type experience 2 years ago, when I was also coincidentally unemployed. That time was for a financial advisor position with Ameriprise Financial, a former division of American Express.

Instead of an interview, they sit us all down in a room, then we're given a pitch by a former basketball player and full time recruiter for the company. He tells us all the great benefits and how lucrative the opportunity is. He's not as charismatic as Ben Affleck's character in "Boiler Room," but he essentially had the same message. By the way, while you're in "training," you won't be paid anything till you pass your series 7 exam. Yeah, total "Boiler Room" scene. At the end of the presentation, they bring everyone to another room with computers to test your competency by giving you a bunch of simple math problems. One girl walks out before setting foot in the computer area, while I take the test and then leave.

Back to today, the recruiter seemed really nice. Interview came and went. She had some suggestions on how to change my resume to fit the needs of one of her clients. Time to cross those fingers and pray that I get an interview. It's with the company that the mouse built. In Burbank. Their bread and butter business is supposedly the happiest place on earth, but that's only if you're last name is Eisner.

Being Costanza

Other than not being short, pudgy, bald, and most notably, white, I'm basically being Costanza these days. I was laid off by my last job in November and haven't found any work as of yet. Not even a freaking phone call.

I surf the web looking for work in the mornings and days, then either workout at the gym or meet up with friends. I do, sometimes, meet up with a cousin or friend at a Denny's. Not quite the same, but you get the picture.

Anyway, I'm a huge Seinfeld fan and have seen just about every episode, at least I think I have.

It was supposed to be the "Winter of Dan," but it's been a very Costanza winter. Nothing great has happened, but some painful things have happened.

Enough of the intro. Starting tomorrow, it'll be truly be a blog about nothing.