California Home Prices: A History [infographic]

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Y-o-u

Why is that we're always trying to be somebody else?

I mean, we're born. We go to kindergarten. (I know there's a little bit that goes on between being born and going to kindergarten.) And then it happens. We want to be "like Johnny" or "like Karen" (or like whoever it may be that happens to be in our class that's quote "popular" at the time).

And then time goes by and we get older. Our horizons enlarge. And that thing that happened to us in kindergarten happens again. It stays with us (many of us). We want to be like the guitar player in the rock band or the soccer player who scored the winning goal or the model on the cover of Vogue or the Miss (pick your state) on the pageant stage ~ or it's somebody else.

And all the while and down through the years (and day after day after day after day) that we do this, something is lost, missing, remains unknown.

And that something is (spell it): Y-o-u.

The person we were meant to be is stunted or it never develops (at least to the fullest potential). The he/she that was meant to blossom forth from our own heart and mind and personality doesn't materialize ~ because we're too busy fantasizing, "If only I could be like...."

And our families lose out. Our business associates and the world loses out.

We lose out, too.

You might also be interested in: Somebody To Talk To You Matter

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10 Mistakes People Make that Costs Them Retweets on Twitter (plus 1 bonus)

Lightning fast read meant to make you think...

10 Mistakes People Make that Costs Them Retweets on Twitter (plus 1 bonus):

1. Craft boring tweets versus compelling "headlines."
2. Create status quo content (on their blogs) and gain a lousy reputation because of it.
3. Forget that the greater the size of the audience, the greater the chance of retweets (build your followership).
4. Don't participate in chats.
5. Neglect retweeting others.
6. Neglect including relevant hashtags.
7. Are a poor speller.
8. Use obscenities.
9. Don't tweet regularly.
10. Forget to team up (make a pact with 3 or 4: you retweet them, they retweet you).

BONUS Abbreviate "pls RT" instead of spelling it out, "please retweet."

You might also be interested in: 9 Tweeting No No’s (Things You Should Avoid Doing So You Won’t Get Unfollowed on Twitter) 7 Ways to Get People to Follow You on Twitter (simple version)

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On Moods, Feelings, Thermometers and Thermostats

What "mood" are you in right now? (Be honest.)

Dictionary.com defines mood as: "a state or quality of feeling at a particular time."

And so moods have a lot to do with feelings. (The argument could be made that moods have everything to do with feelings.)

And at any given time we can feel one way or another. Right?

We can feel happy or we can feel sad. We can feel silly or we can feel serious. We can feel hopeful or we can feel not so hopeful. We can feel secure or we can feel insecure.

It could be just about any type of feeling that we're having at any given time and depending on the circumstances we find ourselves in. (It's true.)

And some people respond to their circumstances like a thermometer. When their circumstances heat up, so do they. Their (personal) temperature rises (figuratively speaking).

Circumstances ARE in control of the "thermometer" person.

And then there are those people who respond to their circumstances like a thermostat. When their circumstances heat up, they are steady. Their (personal) temperature stays cool.

Circumstances ARE NOT in control of the "thermostat" person.

So which one are you?

(There are some people that find their identity/security in being a "thermometer" rather than a "thermostat." Time for a change?)

You might also be interested in:

• 5 Things I Couldn’t Live Without
• Reinvention

What Do Moms Like Best on Mother's Day? (redux)

We're celebrating moms this coming Sunday and so I was thinking about the various gifts that they receive on Mother's Day and the ones they like the best. I tried to rank them in an order keeping in mind what my own mom would probably most prefer (especially the top 5). It might be different with yours, but I'm hoping I came pretty close to how you would list these yourself.

So here I go answering the question...

What Do Moms Like Best on Mother's Day?

15. Flowers
14. Candy
13. Hugs and kisses
12. Phone calls
11. No dishes
10. No laundry
9. Breakfast in bed
8. Balloons
7. Cards
6. Brunch
5. Pampering
4. Peace and quiet
3. Dinner out
2. Kids coming to see them
1. Hearing: "I love you"

You might also be interested in:

• 60 Things Your Mother Said To You (That You May Have Forgotten?)
• 10 Words That Say, "I Love You" [infographic]

5 Dangers of Social Media + How to Write a Blog Post that Nobody Will Read [infographic]

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5 Dangers of Social Media: 

1. Becomes all consuming
2. Puffs up with pride (over numbers)
3. Spread too thin (over too many sites)
4. Offline responsibilities neglected
5. "Affairs" online turn into "affairs" offline (sometimes)

How to Write a Blog Post that Nobody Will Read: 

1. Use bland title
2. Include misspellings
3. Have no coherent point
4. Don't promote via social media
5. Pepper with curse words

You might also be interested in:

• My Social Media Mistake
• What If You Lost It All? (Social Media Meltdown)

The Sun's Out (But Think Rainy Day)

We're turning a corner in the real estate market (it seems). Sales are up. (Yay.) It's a kind of a sigh of relief for an industry that's been suffering for quite a while.

And I can remember at the downturn how many found themselves in the place where they were wishing they'd saved more for a "rainy day." And of those that were wishing that, I guess a larger percentage of them are no longer in the real estate business any more. (Maybe? Probably?) They're missing the turnaround.

And I guess the challenge is, when you have more money (due to the sales of homes or whatever it happens to be that's your product), you tend to just spend it. Right? (Is that your tendency?) And who needs a rainy day fund anyway, when the sun's out and shining and there's not a cloud in the sky? (sarcasm)

Bottom line: We need to save for a rainy day. (We do!) Now's the time.

Because, inevitably, there will be another rainy day (downturn). And there's not a one of us that can predict when or how soon.

(That's not a cloud I see on the horizon, is it?)

You might also be interested in:

• 10 Tips for Blogging Real Estate
• In Defense of REALTORS®

Separating Fact from Fiction (plus 15 Famous American Fibs)

It's becoming harder and harder (it seems) to separate fact from fiction. You watch the network news and they tell you one thing. You listen to talk radio and they tell you another (the opposite). The bottom line is there can't be two truths. So who do you believe?

Well, aside from giving a lie detector (polygraph test), I have come to the conclusion that if we really want to protect ourselves (and our families) from being fooled, we need to do our own research. (It's as simple and hard as that.) We need to not just buy (hook, line and sinker) what others are telling us and find out things and know the truth ourselves.

We can become pretty good at separating fact from fiction through practice. (We can!)

That said, here's a list of...

15 Famous American Fibs:

1. The check is in the mail.
2. I'll start my diet tomorrow.
3. We service what we sell.
4. Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.
5. Money cheerfully refunded.
6. One size fits all.
7. This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.
8. Your luggage isn't lost, it's only misplaced.
9. Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file.
10. This hurts me more than it hurts you.
11. I just need five minutes of your time.
12. Your table will be ready in a few minutes.
13. Open wide, it won't hurt a bit.
14. Let's have lunch sometime.
15. It's not the money, it's the principle.

(List from Bits and Pieces, December 9, 1993, pp. 12-13)

You might also be interested in:

• 10 Lies We're Told (plus 1 bonus)
• 7 Ways People Get Fooled

6 Mistakes Bloggers Can Make + 6 "More" Mistakes Bloggers Can Make [infographic]

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You might also be interested in:

• A Week in a Blogger's Life
• How to Create a Simple Infographic and Give That Old Blog Post New Life

Where No Man Has Gone Before (Star Trek Meets Star Wars video)

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Capitol Christmas Tree in Downtown Sonora (video)

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The "Bug" Inside

(From earlier this week) I got to work today and there was this bug (mosquito?) flying around in front of my computer monitor. I tried to "clap it" (you know when you put your two hands together in the air trying to smash the thing). They're really good (bugs are) at disappearing when you start trying to "clap them." (Clap, clap.) Where did he go? (Are they considered male or female?) I guess he's letting me write this post and then he'll come back.

There's always something that can "bug us" during the day. Isn't it true? Mine just happened to be literal. But sometimes it's just inside of us (the "bug" is) and we carry it around (in our attitude, tone of voice, etc) and, quite frankly, it makes some of us just hard to be around. That's not describing you, is it?

He (the bug) is back. Grrrrrr

(Watch your attitude, Mike. You talk to yourself sometimes, too.) :)

You might also be interested in:

• 46 Things That Bug People (plus one bonus)
• Time to Hit the Reset Button?

Barriers

You know those things that get in the way when you're trying to move forward or get somewhere? I hate those things. I hate "barriers." Except when it's a roadside guard rail to keep you from going over a cliff. That's when I love barriers. I cherish barriers. I can't live without barriers. I hug and kiss barriers. (Well, maybe not that far.)

Have you ever noticed the marks on many of guard rails from cars that have scraped or banged in to or bounced off of them? Sure you have.  Have you ever stopped to calculate the lives saved? (Dozens? Hundreds? More?)

Could it be that thing (barrier) in your life right now that's "halting your progress" just might be a good thing?

You might also be interested in:

• The Story of the Old Mule
• You Matter

Fragile

When I think of "fragile" I think of an antique vase sitting on the fireplace mantle. When I think of "fragile" I think of a marriage relationship with many hopes and dreams for the future. When I think of "fragile" I think of a a newborn baby held in her daddy's arms.

When it's "fragile" we are more careful with it. When it's "fragile" we do everything in our power to protect it. Because it'll break if we don't. (Right?) Because we'll lose it if we're not careful. It's hard to put "fragile" things back together once they're broken / lost / dropped / abused / neglected / stepped on / slung aside / smashed.

What's "fragile" in your life that you need to be more careful with?

You might also be interested in:

• You (Still) Matter
• You Quit

In My Humble Opinion on the Exotic Animal Release

I sat transfixed as I watched the video (see below) of the news conference on the exotic animal release in Ohio. (Since then the last animal has been accounted for and area secured.)

Of course, the authorities made the choice to kill the many tigers, lions, bears, etc., that had been let loose by their owner rather than to capture them. They received numerous death threats because of it.

That made me wonder especially as I listened to world-renowned animal expert, Jack Hanna, (the man on the right in the thumbnail) speak of how he once had to go into a lion's cage to retrieve the arm of a 3-year old which had been ripped off from the shoulder down.

That scene quite possibly could have been repeated over and over again on the streets and neighborhoods of one American city if the police hadn't acted as they did. (I applaud them.)

And there are just some things that you must do (even though you'd rather not) because you've got the greater good in mind.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Porsche 911 (video)

Porsche commercial features footage of the Mother Lode. (via Val O's Facebook page)



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Bear Valley's First Snow of the Season (video)

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Planet Earth from the Space Station (video)

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7 Ways to Get Noticed on Facebook (Mari Smith video)

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Twin Towers Movie Memories (video)

Twin Tower Cameos from Dan Meth on Vimeo.