2011 Year in Review / 2012 Goal Checklist

First of all, apologies up front to Tim Connolly and Joe Van Ginkel for stealing their ideas for a year-end post, but they're both so good, I'm combining them into my personal story of the past 365 days.

2011: Year In Review
Battling through partial unemployment
When I started working at Universal Studios Hollywood in December 2010, the Grinchmas holiday season was just getting started, so work was consistent.  By the time we hit January, my hours hit rock bottom.  To say the least, it was difficult.  I had several interviews with places I wasn't too crazy about, none moreso than my interview with Luminance Marketing.  That was an adventure.  I blogged about it back in February...cehck it out.

From there, I managed to snag a part-time job at Madame Tussaud's Hollywood as part of their "Street Team." My duties? Meander Hollywood Boulevard handing out flyers to passers-by enticing them to visit the museum, saving $5 on admission.  Every coupon turned in would get me an additional $1 in commission.  I worked there for five days, ended up dumping a lot of my flyers with the tour guides along Hollywood Boulevard just to get rid of them.

It was during one particular shift that I received a call from another place I was interviewing with: Andrew Christian, Inc.  For those of you unfamiliar with the organization (and by my money, that's probably damn near everyone who's going to be reading it), ACI is a fashion house specializing in men's swimwear, sportswear, and underwear.  The upside?  The office was 30 blocks from my apartment here in Glendale, so a quicker commute.  I ended up getting the 40-hour, Amazon Data Entry position, ankling Madame Tussaud's in the process, and reducing my full 7-day availability at Universal to weekends only.  I only lasted there 8 weeks, before becoming super-stressed, and leaving in a blaze of glory.

Once I left ACI, I asked my manager at the park if I changed my availability back to 7 days, would I get at least 5 days through the summer.  In no uncertain terms, he informed me I would.  My unemployment woes would be over.  Averaging 35 hours a week through the summer, and close to 40 hours a week over Halloween Horror Nights helped me cement my position at USH, and even got me promoted to Shift Leader before this past Grinchmas season.  With Transformers coming in the Spring, and Harry Potter down the road in a few years, it doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere soon.

Becoming "Enterprizing"
When I came out to California in 2010, I was informed that we should bring our game show stuff to a gaming convention over Labor Day Weekend.  Plans progressively fell through over the course of those few weeks, and I decided to hold off until the next one, which would be over Presidents' Day weekend.  After learning everything I could about this "Strategicon" thing, I put together an 8-game lineup and we went on our merry way.  Little did I or any of us truly realize how big Strategicon events were.

We set up our equipment in one of the meeting rooms (Salons, as the Sheraton calls them...our Studio, as we call it), and proceeded to perform all weekend, treating it like any other Game Show Congress tournament.  The difference was that we had to explain the games that we were playing to the people playing them.

The first con went off very well, with the only hiccup being my projector failing in the middle of a game.  We decided then and there to come back to each Strategicon event (OrcCon for Presidents' Day, Gamex for Memorial Day, Gateway for Labor Day), and do more than just our game shows.  We filled a three-day schedule for Gamex with 8 more games in our Studio and about 30 board games for the Main gaming room.  We went from sideshow attraction to convention fixture by the end of Gateway, and had achieved a small fan base.

The first convention assisted us in getting our business, Home Game Enterprizes, off the ground.  We were invited by a convention regular to perform at a corporate conference for Oracle Development Tools User Group.  The plan was to set up like we usually do for a night of Family Feud, and a game we hadn't tried yet, Minute to Win It.  The conference planners couldn't have been nicer to us and our three-person team.  We had full access to the opening meeting (where we had to perform MTWI), including catered dinner, and early access to the room where we to perform Feud.  They also comped our hotel room in Long Beach, and paid us $1000 for our work!  Once Feud was over, they already invited us to their 2012 conference...in SAN ANTONIO!

The NEW love of my life
In January, my roommates and I were trying to get tickets to "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" to see the new "Doctor Who", Matt Smith.  I even went so far as to purchase a t-shirt from Woot! with a DeLorean crashing into the TARDIS (titled, "It Just Came Out Of Nowhere").  Before I moved out here in 2010, I even created a "Doctor Who" themed version of the card game, Fluxx.  As you probably can tell, my fandom of the BBC sci-fi series is big.

At the con in February, we finally had a break in our Studio action to visit the main gaming room.  My roommate Ben walked over to the volunteer table to chat with the con crew, then came walking back over to me and another roommate, Adam, to say, "There's a girl over here with your shirt."  My reply? "What are you talking about?" Apparently, there was a girl at this con who was a bigger "Who" fan than I was, even having the same t-shirt as me.  I met this "Amber" girl, introduced myself, told her about my Fluxx variant, and invited her to play.  About a half-hour later, she came over to our table, and played two games with us.  After the gaming was over, I pitched an index card across the table and asked for her information.  We proceeded to game for the rest of the night, and into the next day, leaving as newfound friends.

A day or so later, she posted on her Facebook wall that she wanted to either see "Rango" or the new Nicolas Cage movie.  I posted moments later that I had discounted AMC tickets from work, and would be willing to go with.  Plans proceeded to change over the course of the week, and we ended up going to Ben's improv show that Friday night.  At 2:27 that morning, we decided to become official (by updating our Facebook statuses).

Amber and I have now been dating for over 10 months.  Every day we're together, I best my own record.  Three failed relationships in the past, and many more unrequited crushes are now history.

So, all in all, 2011 has been an up-and-down year, but overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10.  Good things came out of it, even if it did have a rocky start.

2012: My Goals Checklist
I'm not big in making New Year's Resolutions.  Instead, I have decided to set a list of goals to meet in 2012.  I'll use this blog as my online diary, tracking my progress in meeting said goals.  They are, in no particular order:

• Have $5000 in my Savings account
• Be 100 lbs. lighter
• Have my credit card debt paid down or off, or be expunged in Bankruptcy
• Have my student loan debt paid on, or be expunged in Bankruptcy
• Get my Ohio University class ring
• Get 2 more corporate clients for Home Game Enterprizes
• Sell 1 Ineligible Productions game show concept
• GO BACK HOME FOR A FEW DAYS!!
• Get a cheap car (probably Tim's Mazda)
• Get on another game show (hopefully one that I can actually win money)

This post goes out to everyone who helped me through 2011, and will be with me through 2012.  You know who you are, and you're too many to mention here.

Luminance Marketing: None Too Bright

So, those of you who follow my Facebook posts know I had an interview with Luminance Marketing last Friday and this past Monday.  While it seemed good at first, I learned that if something is too good to be true, it most likely is.  Let me explain.

Last Thursday, I submitted my resume online from a Craigslist posting for a customer service position.  A couple of hours later, I got a call from "Luminance Marketing" asking me to set up an interview.  Amazed by the almost-immediate turnaround, I gladly accepted a 9 AM interview in their Canoga Park office.  For those of you who don't know the area, Canoga Park is about 10 miles away from North Hollywood, and 23 miles away from my apartment here in Glendale.  Because I don't have a car, I had to use public transportation...a 3-hour commute.

The interview went very well, but very quick.  The person who interviewed me showed me that they are involved in selling DirecTV subscriptions by setting up tables in Best Buy, Fry's Electronics, and Sam's Clubs around the Southland.  Given my experience with setting up a table for the OU Game Show club, I was immediately interested.  They asked if I could stay till Noon for the second round of the interview.  Knowing I had to be back here in Glendale, then down at the Sheraton Gateway hotel for OrcCon on Friday afternoon, I declined, but left my cellphone number.  On the bus ride home, they called me back and asked if I could come in Monday at noon.  I accepted.

Upon return to my apartment, I told my roommates about it.  Ben and Adam seemed pleased about it, but Tim felt immediately apprehensive.  Why?  A couple of years ago, Tim had a job similar to this one where he sold office supplies door-to-door.  He gave me a laundry list of questions to ask upon my next interview, including pay rate, standard activities during the day, and the like.

After a completely successful OrcCon appearance, playing game show games all weekend and making a bushel basket of new friends and connections, I managed to get four hours of sleep before my three-hour commute back to Canoga Park.  I arrived in their office just prior to my Noon appointment, and was able to listen in on their meeting going on in the back room.  At seven different times during the forty minutes I sat there, I heard Tim's voice in the back of my head screaming, "GET THE F*** OUT OF HERE!!"  While I appreciated the concern of my conscience, I felt as if I had to stick it out and see where it was headed.  At 12:30, when the meeting broke, I met my second-round interviewer, Kevin, and went to do the on-site interview at the Glendale Best Buy.

In the car ride over, it was the standard "getting-to-know-you" conversation: where are you from, where did you go to school, what kind of music do you like, do you mind if I smoke...y'know...the usual.  It wasn't until we got to the store where he broke down the nuts and bolts of the business.

Luminance Marketing is set up with a four-tier promotion scheme.  I would first start out as the in-store salesman.  I would get a base pay of $288 per week.  If I were to make any sales, I would make money per sale ($100 per sale for 1 to 3 sales, $110 for 4 to 7, and $120 for 8 or more).  I would be in that position for 2 to 4 weeks, until I managed to get 8 sales in one week.  That would move me to the next step, where I would be in charge of training more people to do the job I just promoted out of.  After 3 to 6 months, I would be promoted to Assistant Manager...running an office, and conducting preliminary interviews.  After a month, I would get promoted to the top of the ladder:  owner of my own office, where I could stand to make $100,000 a year.  This is what we will call RED FLAG NUMBER ONE.  He also told me the job would entail me being in the Canoga Park office at 9:30 AM six days a week (Wednesdays off), then being assigned to a store somewhere in the Southland.  With me not having my own transportation, that would make it iffy.  RED FLAG NUMBER TWO.  He then told me that the work days would not end until around 9 PM every night.  RED FLAG NUMBER THREE.  So, basically, I would be racking up a total of two to three hours of sleep a night, and my Wednesdays would be spent in bed.


Then, Kevin showed me what was to take place on the job.  It turns out that we would not stay in one stationary location.  We would be required to walk around the store and approach customers by, in essence, MISREPRESENTING OURSELVES as employees of the store by asking if we can help them with anything, then give the pitch.  RED FLAG NUMBER FOUR.  By the way, here's the pitch:  "Hey, did you hear about what's going on in the store today?  Well, Best Buy has authorized me to talk to you about DirecTV."  RED FLAG NUMBER FIVE.  Essentially, it's telemarketing while face-to-face.  While going around the store, we went up to three people, and got three very emphatic "NO" responses.  At the end of the day, I told Kevin I had some serious mis-givings about the position, and would need to go through the training to resolve them.  He agreed, and said he would call me back that night after talking with his manager to get me set up.


Thankfully, I was in Glendale, so it was only a two-bus trip home.  Upon arriving, Tim was the only one awake in the apartment, as he was unloading the car from the previous night at OrcCon.  I told him all the details except the promotional structure.  His opinion started to waver, until I showed him the paper with the promotional structure.  I couldn't have received a louder "NO" response.  Apparently, although it was a different company, it was the identical situation he had encountered with the office supplies.  So, I waited for my call back from Kevin, which came at 9 PM.  I told him that I appreciated the opportunity, but the job raised too many Red Flags, and I would have to decline.  Kevin replied, and I quote, "Well, I am making a $900 check next week, so if that interests you at all, call me back."  I said, "Oh, will do."  and hung up.


So, to sum up, if you're a naive, doe-eyed, innocent person who thinks they can make it big in the business world with very little experience and minimal work:  Luminance is for YOU!  But, if you know that it takes effort, hard work, time, patience, blood, sweat, and tears to be a success, and have a college degree, half a brain, and a soul:  STEER CLEAR OF LUMINANCE MARKETING!

Dear Blog-ary...

This afternoon, while watching Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown", one of the comics referred to blogs as diaries.  Therefore, I'm writing today's "blog-ary" post.

Dear Blog-ary...
The last 24 hours have been a series of ups and downs.  It's been a while since I've been on a roller-coaster like the one I've just been on.  Let me start with late yesterday.

UP: I checked my email right before we all went to Ben's improv show last night.  I, once again, have scheduled hours at the park!

DOWN: I thought I'd better call in this morning to try to get a shift, so that way, I'd at least have a little bit of a paycheck.  I called at 7 AM, they put me on the list, and the call-back never came.

UP: Ben decided to make breakfast this morning, in order to use up his two rolls of chorizo.  I decided today would be the day I would try chorizo for the first time, spread over a cheese omelet with sour cream.

DOWN: Too much chorizo.  My stomach has been in knots all day...partly because of the chorizo, partly for other reasons.

UP: Even though I didn't get a shift at work today, I decided to go up there anyway, say "HI" to co-workers, and others, and take a lap thru the park.

DOWN: So, I was lucky enough to see some of my Guest Relations co-workers, do the Terminator 2: 3D show again, and take a lap thru the park.  But, the one co-worker I wanted to see wasn't there.

Thankfully, this day has ended on an "UP".  I got an email inviting me and my roommates to lunch next Thursday with a legendary television producer (you know who you are), and Mega Python vs. Gatoroid is on.

That's all for now, Blog-ary.  I'm going to enjoy my chicken tenders, tater tots, and Smirnoff Ice before crashing out for the evening.  Hopefully, better news will appear in the next few days.

2011: Let's get this party started...

Well, it's the beginning of a new year, and time for me to start blogging about it.  It's been a good start so far.  Here are some details:

• I finally got a bed!  Thanks to my roommate's co-worker, I received a free twin-size mattress and box spring set...the only caveat was the drive to Pomona to pick it up.  Thankfully, I have a friend with an SUV, and the bed has now been slept on for at least a week.  I couldn't be happier.

• Even though my job at Universal Studios has become a one-day-a-week schedule (if I'm lucky), I have managed to subsidize my income with some freelance game software work.  Thanks to my customers...you know who you are.

• I was invited to a movie fundraiser screening earlier this week.  The film: "Come On Down: The Road To 'The Price is Right'".  It's a documentary outlining the lives of fans-turned-contestants and their experiences on the show.  Also featured in the doc are former staffers, including original Producers Jay Wolpert and Roger Dobkowitz.  The upside?  I got to see Roger and his family at the screening!  Thank you, Randy West, for the invite.

• I will finally get to experience the fun that is Jason's Super Bowl party in Chino in a few weeks.  I've heard so many stories from past parties, and now I finally get to go to one and see it for myself.

So far, 2011 has been a great year.  Let's hope the rest of it turns out just as good.

Finally, for those interested, I am planning a trip back to the Mid-Ohio Valley at the end of April.  So, if you're in Marietta, Parkersburg, Vienna, Williamstown, Belpre, Athens, or any surrounding areas, and want to hang out, let me know.

Our Long National Nightmare...IS OVER!

For those of you who don't already know:  after almost 18 months of unemployment, over 100 resumes and applications submitted, and less than 10 interviews, I HAVE A JOB!

I am now a Guest Relations Associate at Universal Studios Hollywood.  If you need information about the park, lost or found an article in the park, or have a complaint about someone or something in the park, you will come to me and see me in my snazzy white shirt and black slacks.

This is the most fun job I've had in a great long while, and miles ahead of my last theme park job at Cedar Point.

More news to come later!

Status Update

OK, so here's what has been happening in my world recently.

I've now delved head-first into the world of the "Paid Audience Member."  Game show fans across the country were not pleased when the new CBS version of Pyramid was turned down for the Julie Chen-helmed talk show, The Talk.  Since the show premieres on Monday (10/18), they have been doing test shows at CBS Radford in Studio City.  None of the f@nb0is are going to like me when I say...

The Talk is actually enjoyable.

Granted, we've received $10 for each day we've been to a taping, but the show is actually worth watching.  I even won a $5 Starbucks gift card yesterday.

Anyway, as for the job hunt.  I've now put in 90 applications, and have chalked up an additional interview, bringing that total up to FOUR (yes, a number so low, I can type it out in word form).  Yesterday's interview was with L.A. Sports Marketing.  They have contracts with all major sports teams in the area, and do promotions and giveaways at the home games.  I told the interviewer that was right up my street, and I would love to do it.  Here's hoping I get in for the next two interviews, then get the job.

Tomorrow, our production company, "Ineligible Productions", has our first serious business meeting.  Hopefully we can get the ball rolling on that end as well.  We have solid formats that we need to tinker, then get on tape and post online.  We just need everyone on the same page.

That's all for now, folks.  I'll check back in later!

Some Help Possibly On The Way...

OK, so a while ago while searching for ways to escape my mounting student loan debt, I came across this site:

http://www.forgivestudentloandebt.com/

Apparently, there is a movement afoot to petition Congress and the current Administration to "Forgive Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy."  Honestly, it makes a lot of sense.  If the graduates had more money to spend, we would buy more, and not be hounded by collectors and creditors every morning at 5 AM.

I haven't scanned it for a while, but I decided to log on today.  To my surprise, there are TWO pieces of legislation out there to add private student loans BACK into the current bankruptcy law.  The Senate bill has just been passed out of subcommittee and sent to full committee.  Promising, for sure.

For more information, I checked out OpenCongress.org and looked up:

Senate Bill S.3219 - Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2010
House Bill H.R.5043 - Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010

Look them up, and contact your Congressional representatives (both sides; House and Senate) to help include student loans under the Big Black Wedge.