And the winner for the best new comedy is....the NFL!

      There is no hiding it…nope, absolutely no hiding it. “It is what it is” they say. “Call ‘em as you see ‘em” they say. “If it walks like a duck and it looks like a duck, it must be a duck” they say. I just don’t get it anymore. It’s all becoming a mess. All of it! It’s all becoming so unpredictable, deceiving, and flat out stupid! There is no hiding it, damn it, it’s all become a shame!

What the hell am I ranting about? I’ll tell you what's got me so riled up! I’m going to put it out there on the table, reveal my cards, there's no holding back!….If our thoughts and emotions were displayed to the those around us, like a bubble over our head, those secretive thoughts and emotions that we disguise, that we alter, that we hide, we may be judged differently by others. Some people may even think we would be borderline nuts, psychotic, weird. Or hell, people may respect us more. Understand us better. Aren’t we liars when we don’t admit to how we honestly feel? Hmmm, well aren’t we? Aren't we liars if we hide the truth?  I remember my first real fist fight, elementary school, in the playground.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, weighing a slim 40 pounds, straight out of 2nd grade, wearing the traditional catholic school uniform of a sky blue shirt and navy blue pants, the one, the only…..Roooobbbbberrrrt Riiiiiiccccoooo!

      In the opposite corner, weighing more than Rico, much taller than Rico, coming out of the same class as Rico, wearing the same outfit as Rico, is Allllliiiii (won’t mention his last name). Ding ding"

 

     Yeah, I remember it like it happened yesterday. It’s a little blurry, but I remember most of it. I have a crush on girl in my 2nd grade class, Ali gives the same girl a flower, I get mad, I punch Ali in the face….or does he punch me in the face? Fight over! I don’t remember….bottom line is I was scared, really scared, super scared. After all, this kid was much bigger than me by at least 5 lbs., had me in height by at least 3 inches, and looked really strong. But I had to demonstrate bravery, strength, power. Sure, I was scared, but he didn’t know it. Nobody knew it! If I walk like a fighter, and I look like a fighter, I must be a fighter. I am what I am ( a fighter). Call me how you see me (a fighter). BIG LIE. I was a chicken.

     The 1st three weeks of the NFL season have come and gone and I have learned one thing….the refs are doing ok. Sure, they lack experience, ability, judgment, and in some cases sight, but they are wearing those really cool uniforms on on a professional football field. If they walk like a ref and look like a ref they must be refs. Right? Wrong! They are what they are…..incompetent. Just call them as you see them......pathetic. There is no hiding it anymore that its become a circus, a mess, a shame. But I do have some compassion for these guys. They have been placed in a position of stress, urgency, and accountability. Their decisions on the field will reflect the outcome of a play, of a game, of a season. Their attempt to be a great fighter, or ref, is apparent. They can do this, right? They're not scared, right? There confident in their ability, right? WRONG! They are extremely nervous, they are extremely unsure, they are extremely human. They are 2nd graders raising their fist in front of their faces biting their lower lip in a threatening fashion fighting for their gal..... scared inside.

Hey everyone, your yard may appear manicured, but your house may be a mess, and that’s ok. Have a heart, don’t blame the refs, blame the absence of the real refs. And I think I can still beat up Ali. Probably not.

Don't fool yourself! You can be in your Olympics!!

I may not know who you are, hell, I may have never met you, but I know how you are....yeah, go ahead, read it again. I may have never seen you, spoken with you, thought about you, yet I'm certain that I know how you are. Have I lost my mind? Absolutely not!
You are a person who is good to others (your spouse, kids, extended family, strangers), gives to others, cares about others, and is considerate to others. Am I right so far? YEP. I know how you are!

You are an individual who is hard working, responsible, independent, driven, determined, disciplined, health conscience, and self motivated. Am I right? WRONG. I know how most of you are!

I'll be honest, the last time I watched the Olympics with a hint of interest was in 1984. I was a mere 16 years old, it was held in Los Angeles, my hometown, and I was fascinated by the greatness of the performances displayed by the athletes. I didn't know Greg Louganis, I just knew he was an incredible diver. I didn't know Carl Lewis, I just knew he was an incredible runner. I didn't know Mary Lou Retton, I just knew she was an incredible gymnast! And now, here we are 30 years later and I am finally interested in the games once again. I don't know any of these athletes, but I watch in awe at the performance of the skaters, the skiers, the hockey players....incredible! To be so damn great at their chosen craft is just incredible. But although I don't personally know them, have never met them, have never physically seen them, have never spoken to them, have never thought about them......I am certain I know how they are.
Like you, they are likely good to others, give to others, care about others, and are considerate to others. Unlike most of you, they are always hard working, responsible, independent, driven, determined, disciplined, health conscience, and self motivated! That may be why they are the best in the world, because they thrive to be the best they can be. I don't know who they are, but I know how they are!
We tend to be good to others, but often not to ourselves. We tend to give to others, yet not to ourselves. We tend to care about others, but do not care about ourselves. We are self proclaimed hard workers, responsible, independent, driven, determined, disciplined, health conscience, and self motivated.....but there is definite room to be better. Give it a shot. Get better! I may not know you, but I know what you can be! An Olympic YOU!

CALL TEAM RICO FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS! 

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The US Army vs Kim Kardashian: And the winner is....

Unbelievable! I just can't believe it! The stock market is dropping like a drunk walking down a flight of stairs, the economists are predicting another recession to what I thought was already a recession, police brutality continues to be a major problem everywhere  leaving many running from the law for protection rather than running to  the law for protection ( Fullerton, CA P.D. kill Kelly Thomas 6 vs.1, Arizona Immigration Law leaves latinos on edge), soldiers in the Army are commiting suicide at a rate of almost 1 per day (per July stats), and home values are as volitile as my exercise routine. Unbelievable! I just can't believe it! The negativity, the crime, the war, the sadness, the NBA lockout, foreclosures, celebrity deaths, unemployment, the S.D Padres in last place, I don't think I can take it anymore! No more bad news, please. No mas. What? No way, no how. Are you seroius? That's it! The camel's back has officially broken. Are you ready for this one? Kim Kardashian is tying the knot this weekend! Are you kidding me? Unbelievable! I just won't believe it!
Let's get something clear. The above scenario is real. The above scenario is an example of how people feel. The above scenario is sad. I make it a point to catch the fist 10 minutes of the nightly news every evening to catch the top stories, and I can't help but notice that every serious issue, every unfortunate event, every top headline is summed up in 10 minutes. The deaths, the economy, the unemployment, the crime, the debt, the brutality, the discrimination, 10 minutes, TOTAL! And then there is Kim Kardashian getting married, the Jersey Shore cast traveling to Italy and the Bachelor selecting a mate receiving tons more air time than I care for. As cliche as it sounds, CAN WE GET OUR PRIORITIES IN ORDER?
With the increase of reality shows in the last 10 years we have forgotten about REALITY, real people, real situations, real life! It has been a great pleasure for our real estate team to have been able to assist current enlisted soldiers in purchasing their home. To hear their real stories, their real life situations, their real life dedication, their REALITY, is pretty amazing. Let's be a lot more sensitive to the past, present, and future military of this country, because damn it, they deserve it. Let's get our priorities straight when it comes to reality t.v. Let's get real.Sorry Kim, you lose this war.

YOU ARE A LEADER and THE DODGERS NEED YOU!

The year is 1977 and it's a crisp October evening. I sit in the front yard, just a mere 9 years old, and admire the voice that is coming out of the transistor radio that I am grasping with excitement! It's not the voice of a great singer. Something BETTER. It's not the groove of a funky band. SOMETHING BETTER. It's the voice of the iconic Vince Scully, the Dodgers great announcer and he is poetically calling the Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series. Man, those were the days. Great players on great teams lead by great managers owned by great owners. Yep, those were the days.

But something happened on my way to 43 years old. Something really unusual happened to the whole scheme compared to the fall of '77. The players became self centered, the teams became uncooperative, the managers became less vocal, and the owners died. The class act, passionate independent owners were gone, and in came the owners of the new millenium. No longer were these clubs family owned, they were taken over by corporate America. The dot com era had arrived and threw a wrench in everything. Boy, do I miss '77.

So the the Dodgers of '77, Garvey, Lopes, Russel, Cey, Baker, Smith, Yeager, and Sutton, who created a solid core for an organization that was family owned had transpired into a 2011 team owned by an owner unable to pay his players. Boy do I miss'77. Headlines everywhere, "Major League Baseball takes financial control of the Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt." Take me back to "77.
So there you have it! How did an organization who was once considered cream of the crop become a laughing stock? I'll tell you! LEADERSHIP! The importance of leadersip! The success in any business starts with the owner aka leader. This individual will effect the tone of the business, AND this individual will be accountable for the success or failures of said business. Whether the leader of a professional team or a realtor leading a transaction, you must set the tone with passion. It is not written, but it is EXPECTED that you will lead from those looking to you for guidance, support, and advice! Therefore, let me remind you, step up to the plate and don't strike out, LEAD! By the way, Vince Scully is still around, the last best thing that came out of '77! -R Rico

SUSHI MADE ME A BETTER REALTOR! by R RICO

It's funny! My wife loves to eat fish..fried fish, baked fish, broiled fish....whole fish, fish nuggets, fish fillet..you name the type of fish, she will eat it. Me, no way, not now, not ever. In fact, the odor of any fish dish has the ability to make me feel a bit disgusted. Our trendy society became trendier and the up and rising popularity of a very disgusting and unusual fish dish had arrived, RAW fish. I could not understand the purpose and the reason for anyone actually willing and wanting to eat raw fish, otherwise known as sushi. Sushi had arrived and it seemed it was here to stay for good. Restaurants had been converted to "sushi bars" and they were often filled up with eager sushi eaters. They even offered "all you can eat" sushi and I could not beleive the acceptrance of such a meal! Not me, no way, never. I was quite content with my eating habits that consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and burritos. Then it happened.

I turned 40 years old and I had decided that I must try different things that I typically would not consider. I had made a committment to no longer talk myself out of reasonable attempts at something and GO FOR IT! This included facials for me, recycling, accepting computers, and .......even sushi. Well, the day came, and there in front of me, slithering on a plate, RAW FISH. I picked it up, ate it, and.....loved it! I loved sushi! I am trendy! I love sushi! In fact, I began to crave it more and more...My 40 year menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and burritos were no longer alone. I introduced them to the flashy, popular, new dish in town and it was rather welcomed. Me and Fish, raw fish, sushi were in instant match.



Boy am I happy I changed my opinion on fish! I would have never been able to enjoy such a delicious meal such as sushi if it weren't for my conscious decision to CHANGE. Change is great! Isn't that the reason we CHANGE our hairstyle, CHANGE our exercise routine, CHANGE our careers, CHANGE our vehicles, CHANGE our homes...we do it to become a new person, we do it to spice up our everday routine, we do it to improve our future! It is obvious we are in difficult times right now, but If you are not satisfied with your current situation wheter it be in real estate, your health, your relationships, consider a CHANGE. Do what others will not do. CHANGE your effort, CHANGE your tactic, CHANGE your self! Sure, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and burritos are good, but sushi is better! I am glad I CHANGED!

-R RICO

The Lousy Lakers are OUT, you can be IN!

I remember it so clearly. The Great Boston Celtics of the 80's. McHale, D Johnson, Parrish, Ainge, Walton, and of course Bird! And the competition was awesome...the SHOWTIME LAKERS...Kareem, Wilkes, Cooper, Rambis, McAdoo, and Magic! The competition was fierce, the competition was genuine, the competition was respected. Although the Celtics and Lakers were providing the public with battles on the court, although the Celtics and the Lakers were at war once the tip off was thrown, although these 2 teams hated each others guts, both teams demonstrated one important factor. While the Celtics boasted their clover filled jerseys on the parquet floor, and the Lakers "Showtime" style of play had all spectators dazzled, both teams shined CLASS! They respected themselves as players, they respected each other as competitors, and they respected their jobs!
Fast foward 20 years! The Lakers pathetic display of CLASSLESS actions during a professional playoff game played by grown men this past weekend was unacceptable, tacky, and immature to say the least. To deliberately act out on aggression based on frustration, not competition, is clearly irrational and selfish.
Competition is part of our daily life and is healthy. Individually, under these circumstances, we tend to push our limits, to raise our bar, and to focus on a target. The success of our careers is based not solely on production, hence Kobe Bryant, but on class, hence Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. These 2 characteristics combined make us likeable, acceptable, referrable. Do not blemish your reputation with selfish actions, you won't get far. Just ask the Lakers....they lost!  R Rico, Century 21 Doug Anderson