It's a Real Estate Paradise in Vegas, Baby! Yeah! It's All Good!

Everyone is saying that Las Vegas is THE place right now to buy real estate. It’s the fastest growing city in the country and people are investing in land, houses, commercial buildings and condos there like crazy. Las Vegas Luxury Condos are the really hot item, because it’s a situation where there are still great values out in the desert and deals are just waiting to be found. It’s a Boom Town baby – and it’s happening in Vegas!!

This Week's Restaurant Review: Wasabi & Ginger in SF

It would be interesting to find out how many sushi bars operate within the city of San Francisco. More fish have met their makers here than anywhere else on the planet, except with maybe the exception of Japan. If I were a tuna, shrimp or mackerel, SF would not be part of my travel itinerary. And the thing is, more and more sushi bars are opening up in this town all the time. You’d think people here would eventually tire of raw fish, but they just can’t seem to get enough of the stuff! There is one sushi place in town that we absolutely love, and it’s called Wasabi & Ginger. Wasabi & Ginger has it all – a fun atmosphere, the freshest fish, a great crew and a balanced and varied menu. And best of all – they will usually give you free stuff. Whether it’s a special sushi roll they’re working on or a nice, light dessert, the folks at Wasabi & Ginger give us 1-2 free items every time we go in there. How many restaurants do that? There are 2 things when it comes to sushi bars that are most important to me – freshness and variety. First, the fish has to be incredibly fresh. If I can’t feel a pulse, I’m not happy. Raw fish is a very delicate commodity, and if it’s been sitting around too long, it can be disastrous. That’s why buffet style sushi at these all-you-can-eat places is not high on my list. The finer sushi restaurants in the world have the best contacts and connections, and always seem to get the best fish. It’s like a great steakhouse being able to get a hold of the finest Grade AAA Prime beef. Those restaurants that can’t get the highest quality, freshest things aren’t going to stay on top for very long. On the other hand, the ones that can will consistently excel. Secondly, variety is the spice of life when it comes to sushi. If I see another Spider, Rainbow or 49er Roll, I’m going to slit my wrists. Too many sushi places fall into the same trap – they serve what the majority of their customers want and I really can’t blame them. But, people are creatures of habit and basically sheep when it comes to food. If you don’t believe me, take a look at all the boxes of macaroni & cheese and other comfort foods on the shelves next time you’re at the local grocery store. When I go out for sushi and spend $50-$80, I want to try items I’ve never had before. Wasabi & Ginger has been creating new exciting items for over five years. They do traditional and modern sushi, with over 150 menu selections, including appetizers like Dobin-Mushi (a traditional Japanese soup), a variety of grilled seafood dishes and over 15 vegetarian items. As far as rolls go, Wasabi & Ginger has their own unique creations, with names like Pink Dragon, (toasted salmon) Scallop Lovers (grilled scallops) and Super Yummy Roll. The Monster Rolls consist of eight big pieces and are all delicious. I especially recommend the Crazy Roll with Unagi, the Irish roll with snow crab and mango and the Fire Work with tempura smoked salmon. Everything I’ve had at Wasabi & Ginger is outstanding, so you can pretty much throw a dart at the menu and hit a winner! Wasabi & Ginger is at 2299 Van Ness Avenue (the corner of Van Ness and Vallejo Streets) in SF and their phone number is: (415) 345-1368.

Our Mayor Here in SF is a Dog!!

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom has had a tough year and it’s only February. First, he gets caught sleeping with his buddy’s wife and now he’s announced that he has a serious alcohol problem and is going into rehab. Wow. In 2006, Newsom was an up-and-coming politician with a promising future, and now his future looks about as bright as Scott Peterson’s. San Francisco is a very open-minded and permissive city. Drinking and getting drunk is part of the culture here. But, folks will not look past the fact that he slept with someone else’s wife. That is unforgivable. The guy could have had any brainless little hottie in town (we have a surplus here!) and instead he beds down with a friend’s wife. There are men out there who specialize in that type of behavior. They do it because: 1.) They know the woman is in a relationship, so it’s guaranteed to be a no strings attached affair and after it’s over they can move on and 2.) It’s a conquest – their way of proving to themselves that they can have this woman despite the fact that she’s in a relationship. This city is full of these deplorable male dogs. They love nothing more than messing up other guys’ relationships by screwing their wives and girlfriends. It’s part of the sexual landscape not just in SF but throughout the country. Young people don’t even date anymore – they “hook up.” What has our society turned into? What happened to faithfulness and loyalty and being honest? Gavin Newsom stepped over the line and now he has to pay. I’d be drinking too if I were him. I’d be down at the Bus Stop or at the Balboa Café getting hammered right now. His political life is over!

What Should You Do When You Screw Up at Work?

Work screw ups are bad all the way around. First, you feel bad and kind of stupid when you make them. Then, you get chewed out by your boss, which makes it even worse. What is the best way to handle it once you mess up on the job? I found this useful report on AOL.com:

You didn't seal the deal. You lost a big client. You made an accounting error that cost your company thousands of dollars. Whatever the case is, you blew it. And your boss and everyone you work with know it.
So, now what? Use these tips to get into and get over what you did wrong.
1. Own it.
While many of us would prefer to forget our mistakes, initially you need to acknowledge to your supervisor and everyone involved that you're accepting responsibility for what went wrong. If you do this right (that is, seriously and sincerely), you'll only have to do it once.
2. Take the heat.
You may get teased by from coworkers for a long time to come. Accept gentle ribbing with a wink and a smile. However, don't take blatant abuse from someone who can't get past what happened. If a colleague's teasing becomes taunting, speak with your supervisor and a human resources representative.
3. Don't beat yourself up.
It does no good to dwell on your mistakes, which can lead to doubting your competence. "This type of thinking is actually self-destructive and only serves to hamper future effectiveness," says Liz Bywater, president of Bywater Consulting Group, a Philadelphia-based firm focused on optimizing organizational performance. "Remember: Failure is not in the falling down but in the staying down."
4. Learn from the past.
Solicit advice from your boss and trusted associates to help you analyze what went wrong and how you might've avoided the error entirely. Go back in the process as long as is necessary; however, be careful to avoid blaming anyone else, despite what you may uncover. Just learn from your own mistakes.
5. Keep it in perspective.
Seek a broad view of your career and accomplishments. "Chances are, you've experienced at least as many successes as failures," Bywater says. "It's the successes that deserve your greatest attention. Learn from them and continue to build upon your strengths."
6. Move on.
You've apologized. You've taken your lumps. You've analyzed where you went wrong. Now, it's time to move on. Don't raise the topic of your mistake again. Your boss and coworkers want to move past this as much you do; continue to look to the future and don't allow your career or day-to-day performance to be marred by one error.

I'm Sick!!

Man, I hate being sick. The flu that's been going around finally got around to me, and I feel like an old lawn gnome with a fifteen pound bag on his shoulders. What a drag!

My Super Bowl XLI Predictions

Super Bowl XLI is going to be a complete blowout. Every year we spend the two weeks before the Super Bowl and after the Conference Championship games talking up the underdog and convincing ourselves that the game will be worth watching. In reality, the odds makers are usually always right, and they have this one picked perfectly, if not maybe just a little too conservatively. The Indianapolis Colts are going to blowout the Chicago Bears in embarrassing fashion, by a final score of 38-20. Chicago will score a meaningless touchdown late, but the game will never be close. Peyton Manning will be the MVP, the Colts will throw for more than 300 yards and run for more than 150, and the Bears will commit 3 turnovers, including 2 Rex Grossman interceptions. At one point Indy will be up by more than 3 touchdowns and Manning will complete 6 straight passes. There will be a special team’s touchdown and a defensive touchdown, Billy Joel will do a sub-par job on the national anthem and Prince will steal the halftime show without baring either of his breasts. The commercials will get a low B grade, the pre-game show will go on forever and I will eat more than my share of chicken wings, potato skins and chili con queso. Those are my Super Bowl XLI predictions and I’m sticking to them. Enjoy the game. It’s doesn’t get any more American than this!

Go Pro When It Come to Biz Cards!

Professional business cards say so much about the person who uses them. I hate those cheap, one-color business cards printed on flimsy paper stock. My Dad always used to say that you can judge a person’s character by the strength of their handshake and the thickness of their business card. I completely agree!

It's All in the Presentation

In my work for Parts & People newspaper, I use quite a few presentation folders. For my presentation folder printing, I’ve been going online. Presentation folders that look professional are so much more effective than buying a folder from an office supply store and putting a sticker on there. Image perceived is image conceived is what I always like to say!

Online Business Card Printing: Easy and Affordable

By ordering your business card printing online, you can save mucho dinero. It’s a very simple process and saves you time as well as cash. The quality is high and you’ll save on short runs too. With the new high-end digital printing techniques that are out there today, it’s really the best way to go. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

A's Will Soon be The Cisco Kids

Welcome to the complete corporatization of major league baseball, America. The entire sports climate in this country has been moving in this general direction for the past few years, and now it’s finally here.

Cisco Systems, Inc. has reached a deal with the Oakland A’s in which the Northern California-based corporation will build the team a new ballpark in Fremont, a city about 15-20 minutes south of Oakland, depending on traffic, which, no doubt, is about to get a lot more congested in the very near future. The agreement would create a 32,000-35,000-seat stadium, which of course will be named Cisco Field, on a 143-acre parcel held by the company, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

If the plan is approved by the city, the A’s could be playing there as soon as 2011. A’s owner Lew Wolff declined to speak to reporters yesterday after he left a meeting with four Fremont City Council members, but you know he must be secretly grinning from ear to ear!

The City of Oakland blew it and never built a new stadium for the A’s when they should have done a long time ago. And then they let Raiders Owner Al Davis put that ridiculous wall of stands and luxury boxes in the place, so that now it looks more like an overpriced apartment building than a baseball stadium. I went there 2-3 times this season, and it’s an outdated, uninspiring stadium that can’t in any way compare to the exciting new baseball-only facilities of today.

It will be a good thing all away around for the A’s. Maybe now they can spend a little money on players. Even though Billy Beane has done an amazing job getting young rookies through the farm system and acquiring old guys via free agency, it just hasn’t been enough to assemble a team that can get into the World Series.
An influx of ca$h from a new stadium will mean Beane can throw a few bucks around to get exactly the type of team he’s looking for without worrying so much about the bottom line. This whole thing with companies owning and operating professional sports teams is the wave of the future, anyway.

It reminds me of the movie “Rollerball” where teams are owned by enormous corporations representing entire continents.

The only two things to ask now are: Will Fremont okay the deal? They’d be stupid not to. There will undoubtedly be a group of citizens from Fremont who will fight it and say the new stadium will be bad for the city. Those folks always exist. But, for a small town like Fremont to reject a deal like this – one that can bring them so much prestige, jobs and mucho dinero – would be municipal suicide.

The other question is: What do you name the team? The Fremont A’s? The Silicon Valley A’s? The Northern California A’s? How about the Cisco Kids!? It’s just a matter of time. I can see it now. The Apple Computer Antelopes. The Hewlett Packard Packers, the Yahoo Yankees and the Google Gophers.