btw I used to be a web page jockey at edmunds.com. When I first started working there, their offices were on the old Warner Hollywood movie studios in West Hollywood (originally the Pickford-Fairbanks studios, then United Artists). They then moved to the huge MGM office complex in Santa Monica and as far as I know are still there.
Their web site is an invaluable resource, but the company was a hellish place to work. Most of the people there were great but the work itself was migraine-inducing. Their huuuumongous web site is database driven so all the info is updated "on the fly." However, in order to preview new pages, mockups have to be dummied up in Dreamweaver and that's what I did. Everything had to line up just perfectly and fit within very tight layout constraints, and you'd get revisions of the same material from several sources and it was a nightmare sorting them all out. Then you'd get text from one person, photos from another, layout instructions from the art director..... {{{*SCREEEEEM!!!*}}}
The company is owned by Orthodox Jews. Every doorway has a Mezuzah, and when the owners would throw (frequent) parties or luncheons they would always have kosher food. You haven't lived until you've had kosher pizza (not).
They had incredible holiday parties where everyone and their family members were invited. One year the party was at the fabulous Petersen Automotive Museum (which is a brisk 10-minute walk from my house). Edmunds rented out the entire museum for the evening and it was a very glamorous black-tie event. Somewhere I have photos of Arlee and me in our evening gowns and we were just faaaaaaaaaabulous, hahaha!
Right in the middle of Edmunds' large office complex at MGM was the shell of a black 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood that was turned into a coffee bar. Very clever. Free coffee anytime for everyone, and 2-3 times a week they'd have free bagels or donuts. A lunch room had free sodas and snacks, and foozball tables.
Management did all this stuff I think to try to compensate for the very stressful and difficult work environment. Employee turnover was very brisk -- people would either burn out and quit, or get fired. I should have seen the writing on the wall when I went there as a freelance artist thru an agency and was offered a permanent job after being there only half a day. "What's wrong with this picture?"
There were frequent scream-fests behind closed management doors, and the really exciting ones would spill out into the hallway. Never a dull moment there - except for the very dull work that is.
The nice part about it was that I made some good friends there, a couple of whom I am still in regular contact with even though it's been more than 10 years since I left there (I was one of the burn-outs who quit).
Anyway, it was an INTERESTING job but not the type I would ever seek out again.
www.petersen.org
