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