Jennifersambolin's Blog

Adventures of the Unemployed…. again

jennifersambolin — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:18:35 +0000

Had a “job interview” today. I didn’t get my hopes up when I learned that they wanted me to set up my own interview. I knew something was up from the get-go. I had applied only a day before, and already they contacted me? Smells like an automated message to me! Either way, I am in no position to be picky or to over scrutinize any potential future employment. I went ahead and picked a day and time from the plethora of 15- minute interval options available for you to choose from. Sothis morning I realized I was getting even fatter than ever when trying on clothes from my closet. I assume unemployment=stress=over-eating. I picked an uncomfortable outfit (meaning the one that looked the most professional), printed my resume three times (my printer decided it was a good time to run out of ink!) and drove for almost an hour to the address that was given to me. When I arrived I saw exactly what I expected. A hallway FULL of people of all ages with resumes in hands being directed every which way. I was promptly asked if this was my first or second interview by a skinny woman in jean and a nice jacket…. I envied her jeans. I wish I had jeans on at that moment. Why were we asked to dress professionally if she got to wear jeans!!!! Anyhow, jealousy aside, I handed my resume and the lady then took my picture (she said it was to remember me… although I don’t see how that is very relevant when it is a horrible picture and there are hundreds of us). I was placed at a computer to take an assessment test, which took about 15-20 min. and then I was told that I would be given a call in 2-3 days.

Alright…. so here’s my problem. Seriously! I drove about an hour for you to take the same resume that I had already sent you, to take a picture that I could have provided you with via email and to take an “assessment test” that was on-line anyhow and mainly asked the same questions I have already answered in my resume and cover letter. Maybe they should hire me just to save them some money. Think about how much money they would save by doing all of this on-line. If they still want to meet you after the assessment test, then they could schedule a real interview! I feel like I waisted my time and that I was deceived. Not only was the job specifications not the same as the one provided on a certain job search website, but it seems like it is more a performance based pay than a regular full time job (as it was described).

I know searching for a new job isn’t easy (especially if you’re like me and don’t have a specific job title)… but do employers really have to make everything even more difficult?

Here are a couple websites about job scams. Try not to be roped into one!

Scamdex, Privacy Rights, Hotscams

Also found a fellow writer that seems to be going through the same things as I am. You can read about his trials and tribulations at Jeremiah Tolbert.

Adventures of the Unemployed…. (continued)

jennifersambolin — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:31:16 +0000

I find it interesting that a lot of people hate Bush. Change my mind. What I meant say is that it doesn’t surprise me. But, I can’t really complain. Since my job hunt has given me nothing in return except for watery eyes from staring at the computer so much, I have been relying on unemployment checks to keep me going. Thanks to Bush, unemployment was extended in 2008 from 13 weeks to 20 weeks. Thanks man! I really appreciate it. Not that I think riding the wave on government checks is fun, but when there is nothing out there…. well… it helps to pay the bills. Good thing people love their cable because if not the company my husband works for might not be doing so well! LOL …. All in all, the search continues and thanks to Bush I’m still getting some money in the meantime.

No Doubt on American Idol

jennifersambolin — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:24:06 +0000

Yes you heard right! No Doubt will be performing this Wednesday May 6th on American Idol. It may be sad day for the contestant being eliminated but hey… if you get to see No Doubt performing live the it can’t be THAT bad! I’m super excited. I’ve been a No Doubt fan all my life. Glad to see them all back together again and I can’t wait for them to roll in to town.

For more info on their tour dates and tv appearances check out their official website NO DOUBT

Customer Service Sucks!!!

jennifersambolin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Oh yes! I have worked in customer service for many years and have great stories to tell. Since meeting most of my friends in the same job fields I’ve acquired an even greater amount of stories. People are crazy out there, so be nice to the employes. Furthermore, being mean and rude at people who are trying to help is going to get you nowhere fast! Trust me on this one. A lot of people will go above and beyond for those who are patient and understanding. I am on a mission to collect as many customer service stories out there, plus I’ll share a few of my own as well.

Final 7 sing …. again (April 21, 2009)

jennifersambolin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:02:57 +0000

Tonight we heard the final seven… again. With Matt being saved by the judges last week, tomorrow we will witness two contestants being voted off. Ryan started us off in a hurry with Lil Rounds (no time to spare!! since the show has gone over a couple weeks). She sang “I’m Every Woman” but was not complimented at all! Simon let her know it will most likely be the last song she sang , Paula said she had recovered very well from having no voice at all the previous day. Cara said she’s been waiting for her to sing something along this line… but apparently didn’t wait long enough! After all these negative comments, the camera snapped to her family and you could see the aggravated look on her mom’s face. It was as if she was about to get toe to toe with the judges. Sorry Lil Round mom but you’re just going to have to realize that she’s leaving us…. SOON!

Chris sang Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard for the Money”. As I’ve said before, he’s not one of my favorites in the competition, but I have to give it to him. This performance was awesome. The arrangement was unexpected and the vocals were beautiful. After a little quip with Paula about mentioning Chris “shopped in women’s”, Simon said “original, well-thought out, not-karaoke and completely unlike [Lil Round]. I’m sure he’s safe!

Danny…. well, Danny is Danny. He sang Earth Wind and Fire’s “Remember” and once again dazzled the audience with great vocals. He was given kudos all around but Simon said the only thing that bothered him was that the performance was “awkward and uncomfortable”.

Allison came out in a super hot awesome (really great shoes!!- so jealous!) and sang “Hot Stuff”. The ”dawg” didn’t care for the arrangement of the song at all but admitted that he thought she was an awesome singer. Simon told her it was a brilliant performance which completely surprised me but all in all I think she’s safe as well. Kind of shocked they didn’t mention the whole outfit!

Oh Adam my Adam!! He never disappoints and this week was no different. After giving his rendition of “If I Can’t Have You” judges complimented the arrangement and the awesome vocals. Paula was moved to tears and said she could feel his pain (and yes Paula, I understand what you mean). Although I personally think it isn’t his BEST performance, it was great and he looked great with his cleaned up look.

Matt, who was given another chance last week, sang “Staying Alive”. Randy said he didn’t like the arrangement or song choice but gave him props anyhow. Also commented that these are the best and most talented top seven ever on AI. Cara said she enjoyed watching him move around the dance floor for a change. I think going after Adam hurts his chances but I loved the performance and he should stay alive for next week.

Anoop, Anoop, Anoop. Still don’t like him and completely agree with Simon that he was mediocre and gave a horrible version of “Let’s Dim the Lights”. Paula said that only real men can wear pink. I don’t think he should survive though.

My votes for tomorrow’s elimination: Lil and Anoop…. Sorry, but the competition is fierce!

American Idol

jennifersambolin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:00:43 +0000

Excited to watch tonight’s show! It’s officialy Disco time, which makes me wonder with enthusiasm as to what Adam is going to give us tonight. He may be disliked by some for his black nail polish and unconventional looks (things that I think only add to his personality and give us a glimpse of who he is as an artist!) but no one can deny his amazing voice and skills at putting on a show. Even though were still relatively early in the competition, my money is on Adam. Allison and Danny will probably also be in the final three. The rest of them….. they’re good, I like them all but I don’t LOVE any of them. We’ll see what happens…..

Simon Cowell makes a clutch decision…

jennifersambolin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:05:45 +0000

Once again American Idol said goodbye to another contestant. This week it was Scott who was sent packing. Can’t say I was surprised. He is very talented and extremely inspirational to many, but week after week his performances have been been going downhill quick. After he performed for the judges for the last time, Simon said he had a 50/50 chance of staying because it wasn’t just about him. I agree, the judges need to save that free pass for someone with more potential of winning the whole contest and Scott just didn’t have that. So, when it came down to it Ryan asked Simon to make a decision and Simon said “it’s the end of the road”.

Audiences also got a chance to see performances by Frankie Avalon, Flo-rida and Kellie Pickler.

American Idol: April 7, 2009 Review

jennifersambolin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:30:13 +0000

Tonight we saw the remaining eight finalists competing using songs from when they were born. Danny started us out with a good performance as usual, but I feel like if I’ve heard him once then it’s good enough. Every performance he gives us sounds exactly like the other. However, we all know he will be around for a couple more weeks; he has a good story that increases his like-ability (pretty depressing as well), a great personality and of course a great voice. Will that be enough to become the next American Idol? I don’t think so.
Next we had Kris who used his guitar once again but was rated average by the judges. Lil Rounds sang Tina Turner’s popular “What’s Love Got to do With It” but was criticized for not being original and not showing who she was as an artist and instead copying other singers. With these judges reviews she just might end up in the final three tomorrow unless the fans call it in. Anoop followed Lil with a rendition of “True Colors” which was applauded by all. I personally am not his fan but I’m sure this performance will keep him safe for a couple more weeks. He might want to check with House now that Dr. Kutner was removed from the show; he just might have a new position LOL. Scott surprised us by ditching the piano and actually showing off his electric guitar skills; even though the song choice and instrument pairing was not the best. I wouldn’t rate this a good performance at all and the judges agree that it might not have been the best song choice (their #1 criticism for most contestants this season). I’m predicting he will be in the final three tomorrow. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” was chosen by Allison Iraheta. Her raspy, mature voice is very unique and she definitely makes my top pick for making it to the final three. The performance gave us a different look from her usual rock style. All the judges gave her great feedback for putting her own spin on every song she has chosen and was even told “let’s go make a record”, by Cara. Matt then donned us with his blues style voice. He was commended by all and I am sure he has nothing to be worried about. The performance of the night, rightfully leaving the best for last, was given by none other than Adam Lambert. He is unusual to the eye, but unique as unique can get. He has an amazing range and he makes everything rightfully his own by changing its style. He is an artist already, the whole package, and he makes all the other contestants seem like rookies. After tonight’s rendition (and if he continues on this path) I expect him to be the next American Idol. I know I for one am downloading most of his performances on ITunes.

Learn more about the contestants at www.americanidol.com

New The Hills episode…. and more Spencer drama

jennifersambolin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:43:07 +0000

Heidi, Heidi, Heidi….. seriously? Let’s see…. how many episodes does it take for Heidi to realize that Spencer is not right for her. I know I’ve lost count. Now, factor the old best friend loss, the disapproving parents, the failure of a great job and now a fight at a bar with Cameron who ratted on him. Heidi, did you lose brain cells when you got all the plastic surgery done? Dump him, get it over with! You have so much going for you and you are trading it all in to be a with a rich bum. What more of an oxymoron do you want? Although I do understand that by resolving this issue The Hills may cease to exist, I still would rather move on to more interesting subjects such as: will LC ever meet someone. I always thought she and Brody would be good together, however previews of upcoming episodes completely trash that idea when we are given a glimpse of Audrina and him in a pool.

What is it about this show that gets us so hooked? I am the first one to admit that it is redundant and vane. How many times do we see the same things over and over and over again. Audrina crawling behind Justin, LC crying over another friend (is she a lesbian or something?… seriously! get over it!), Brody hanging out with the bro’s drinking brews and Heidi being powerless and living up to those blonde jokes by letting Spencer out talk her in stupid conversations. I wish one day when he is talking to her, trying to twist the whole scenario around as he so masterfully does, that she would just smack him mid-sentence. And this my fellow readers is why I continue watching the show…. not for a hopeful miracle in the IQ levels of the show’s stars but for the potential ass whooping I so long to see of the infamously annoying Spencer Pratt.

Check out a more in depth look at what happened on the show:

http://deadon.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/the-hills-season-5-episode-1-season-premiere-dont-cry-on-your-birthday/

House Episode 520 “Simple Explanation” – Review

jennifersambolin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:14:09 +0000

So tonight I saw the new episode of House, on Fox, like any other faithful follower. I’ve never really been one to review TV shows or really make much of them; I watch them and then I change the channel. However, this new episode caused so much confusion for me I thought it best to vent online.

***Spoiler Alert****

First of all there were actually a couple of stories (at least more than the usual) which were occurring simultaneously in varying degrees of importance. We had the usual medical mystery that was being investigated by our favorite doctors which consisted of Meatloaf’s character and his wife fighting for each other’s life by sacrificing their organs and life without the others knowledge. The medical aspect of the show usually takes the priority, however Dr. Kutner’s story stole the show, as well as confused the living daylights out of me! The show begins with an innocent notice of his absence at the hospital. Thanks to Dr. House’s curiosity, Number 13 and her boyfriend, Dr. Foreman (which also create yet another small story based on their troubled relationship) discover the lifeless body of Dr. Kutner. His death is called a suicide by police investigation but House’s incessant need to know the “hows” and “whys” of life leads him to believe that it is instead a murder.

Now this is what really through me for a loop:

A show is a show, fine I understand that and I also realize that this was probably a need for better ratings etc. Why Kutner? I loved his character! Which got me thinking…. why didn’t they show his face during the show or any lame flashbacks we are so accustomed to receive with parting characters? Furthermore, if this was a need for better ratings, why didn’t they drag out trailers for this episode for weeks and weeks ahead of time? But the biggest confusion of all….. the memorial website for Dr. Kutner’s character. I admit that at first I thought “OMG, did Kal Penn die? Did I miss a week of E News which informed me of his untimely death?” I have been searching online for the past hour to find more information and confirm that he is actually alive and well. I haven’t found anything stating the contrary so I am very relieved. But I am still trying to recover from my initial thoughts.

So to recap from my shock…. today’s episode was a total disappointment. A good character was cut loose to everyone’s surprise, the main medical diagnosis mystery was very poor, and now we are left with a couple of relationships (foreman and thirteen, house and….. everyone) up in the air and as if that was not enough, we are thrown for a loop when they give us a suicide hot line number and a website dedicated for Dr. Kutner’s passing. I guess will just have to wait and see what happens next. Kudos for being able to keep a secret though!

P.S. I am still trying to figure out why they cut his character. If you want more information in the meantime, this is the offical House website:

www.fox.com/house

****************UPDATE*********************

So I kept doing some more investigating and I found some info on www.spoilerjunkie.wordpress.com

Kal Penn has decided to work in the White House as the associate director of public liaison. He had the opportunity to meet the president and when the opportunity arose to work with the media and public he accepted. If you want to read the whole interview go to:

http://spoilerjunkie.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/house-spoilers-the-shocking-story-behind-last-nights-big-death/

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/07/actor-kal-penn-joining-the-obama-administration/