RECR's Blog

You can use math to prove just about any arguement.  And disprove any arguement as well.  I saw this in a demonstration on symbolic logic when I was in college...and I thought I would share it with you as it has stuck in my head all these many years...

We all know that given enough time and enough money, any man can get a woman.  So, having said that...it can be said that girls are the product of time and money.  In other words:

Girls = Time X Money

And we all know that "time is money" right?  So, it can also be said that:

 Time = Money

So, if we substitute money for time, we can say that:

 Girls = Money X Money

Or.......

 Girls = (Money) to the 2nd power

We also know that "money is the root of all evil".  So, knowing that, it can be said that money is the square root of evil.  So, we get:

 Money = square root (Evil)

If we substitute that new meaning in for money, it can be said:

 Girls = (square root (Evil)) to the 2nd power

As we all know, any time you square something that has a square root, those two properties cancel each other out.  So, applying that cancellation, you end up like this:

 Girls = Evil

Therefore, it must be accepted that all girls are evil!!  :-)

Hope you enjoyed this little math lesson...and I hope you have a great holiday weekend!  Happy Labor Day!

HOW TO GIVE A PILL TO A CAT

1. Sit on sofa. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to it.
   
   
2. With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (be patient) As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
   
   
3. Pick the pill up off the floor and go get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before, drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
   
   
4. Scoot across floor to pick up pill, and go find the cat. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Bring it back into the kitchen. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. Drop pill into mouth.
   
   
5. Pry claws from back legs out of your arm. Go get the cat, pick up half-dissolved pill from floor and drop it into garbage can.
   
   
6. Call spouse from backyard. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.  Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet.
   
   
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rod, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
   
   
8. Get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
   
   
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
   
   
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.
    
    
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
    
    
12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill from foil wrap.
    
    
13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.
    
    
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call at furniture shop on way home to order new table.
    
    
15. Arrange for SPCA to get cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL

1. Take pill and wrap it up in bacon.
   
   
2. Throw into the air.

If you would like information about www.recr.com, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058

Im just writing this because I love this service!!!!  Commercial free music online played right through your PC or laptop...gotta love it!!

Go to www.pandora.com and fill out a new user account.  Once you are logged in, you can tell the good folks at Pandora(r) what you would like to hear, and they custom build a 'radio' station just for you.  Whether your flavor is hard rock, country, celtic, gothic death metal, or Zamfir - Master of the Pan Flute, these guys got it.  It's awesome! 

Also, if you hear a song you dont like, you can tell them you dont like it and they will remove it from your playlist....you can even 'park' songs for 30 days if you have heard it too much.  They even pull other music that fits your style and throw it in the mix...

All in all, its good fun!  Enjoy.

If you have any questions about www.recr.com, please do not hesitate to let Clint know at 800-977-7058 or 406-329-7652.  Or, follow Real Estate Client Referrals online on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

Many of you know that I'm a bit of a food guy.  And, being a food guy, I love to cook.  And, I think that any true cook likes to invent things that are pleasing both to the eyes and to the pallet.  And, have a good time while doing it. 

With that being said, I wanted to share a creation that I think is one of the best mexican dishes Ive had the pleasure of experimenting with...Please feel free to take a copy of this recipe and try it at home...And let me know what you think of it!! 

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
-----------------------------------------------------------
2 lbs chicken breast (strips) cut into cubes
2 large avocados, sliced
2 red or yellow bell peppers, sliced
8 burrito size flour tortillas
1 large can green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 8oz bars cream cheese (12 oz in total)
1 pkg taco spices
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 bottles of Corona
1 large lime

Preheat oven to 350.  Get a cutting board and a knife and begin breaking down your peppers. When this is all said and done, you should have roughly enough pepper strips to add 3 or 4 of them to each enchilada.

Break down your avocados also.  All said and done, you should have 16 slices (each half of an avocado should yeild 4 large slices).

At this point, you should be thirsty.  So, cut up your lime into pieces. Open a Corona and squeeze lime juice into bottle.  Take a drink.  Put bottle down.

Cube up your chicken and, in a large skillet, drizzle some olive oil and saute on stove until cooked through. Add a splash or two of your Corona while cooking your chicken, if you want...it adds a nice hint of flavor.  Finish your beer during this process.  (Sure, you could get a whole chicken and boil it until all the meat falls off the bone and drain the liquid off the meat and then use the shredded chicken meat as your base for this recipe...but, who has the time for that kind of work???)

Once chicken is done and all the liquid is boiled away, add cream cheese and lower heat to medium low. Melt cream cheese and stir thuroughly. Dont let the cheese scald, so make sure the heat is low and you are stirring frequently.  Once melted completely, Add taco seasoning and mix.  Remove from heat.  If you are like me, at this point, you need another beer. So, take care of that really quick. 

Spray your 9x13 pan with a helping of olive oil spray or other non stick spray. 

On a tortilla, scoop out 1/8th of the mixture (cut the mixture with a spatula in the skillet like a pie.  That way, you dont have to guess) and place in the middle of the tortilla like you would if building a burrito.  Add a few strips of bell peppers.  Add 2 strips of avocado.  Roll up and place in the px13 pan.

Repeat these few steps until you are out of everything.  If you planned it right, you should run out of all the ingredients on the last one.  You should have finished your second beer by now...so, get another one if needed.

Once done rolling and placing in your pan, cover with enchilada sauce and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Drink more beer while baking.  When done, top with shredded cheese and pop back into oven for 5 minutes or so. 

Serve hot on a bed of shredded lettuce and crushed tortilla chips and top with sour cream and the hottest hot sauce you can stand....and have a beer with it!

Enjoy!

Many of you may know that I grew up in a small town...and I know small is a relative term to most.  I am talking less than 1,000 people when I graduated high school.  My graduating class had 29 kids in it.  Im talking small town. 

I can remember:

-- having to go to the doctor...walking into the office and being seen right away and leaving without paying for anything because they knew they could send a bill to my parents house.

-- going to the drug store and getting perscriptions for pain medications for my dad and they actually gave them to me knowing I wasnt going to go sell them to 3rd graders.

-- going to the local burger joint (The Circle) after school to get soft-serve ice cream and being able to put it on a tab that got paid weekly.

-- knowing everyone in the entire town by first name...or them knowing me by first name.

-- spending my summers diving off of the bridge into the Clark Fork River and crawling out on the sand never once having to worry about getting stabbed by broken beer bottles and used needles.

-- spending my winters going into the mountains behind my house and sledding on old man VonHeeder's property until the cows came home (small town expressions are great) and not having to worry about someone sueing him for not having a safety rail on the sledding run.

-- working my butt off to get my first car...nothing was ever handed to me just because I turned 16.

-- having only 3 TV channels...."and if the President was on, your night was shot!" as Jeff Foxworthy so elequently put it.

-- weeding in my dad's garden growing our food and hunting to get meat for the family; fishing; and trading work for baked goods and milk with other families in town.

In today's fast paced world of Trios and palm pilots, satelite TV, spoiled kids that get new cars at 15, instant gratification at every turn, HIPPA regulations, dope dealers taking advantage of the innocent, and everyone on the planet having some form of political agenda....I sure miss that place.  Thankfully, I only live 70 miles from there.  I visit every chance I get.  

My advice on making your business better....      Take the time to enjoy the simple things in life...Work for what you want...Pet a puppy...Smile at a stranger...Pay it forward.  In short: Be the person that people remember at night for all the right reasons.

If you have any questions on internet referrals and how they can assist you, please visit www.recr.com or call Clint Miller directly at 800-977-7058 or 406-329-7652.  Or, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

Having grown up in what most would consider a bit of a ‘one-horse' town, I have to admit I like the creature comforts that today's modern world can provide to former back-country hicks like myself.  Don't get me wrong...I love my simple little country roots, but lets get real here...this stuff was built for me.

For example - Remote start for my car??  Hello?????  Where has this been my entire life????  I have to tell you that there is no better feeling in the world than being able to start my car during the middle of winter with 2 feet of snow on the ground, a mean 16 degrees outside not including the wind chill from the 30+ MPH wind blowing down Hellgate Canyon (yes, that's a real place up here) all while standing in my kitchen barefoot,  wearing my Scooby Doo boxer shorts and holding a cup of coffee.  If you do not have remote start in your car...GET IT!  Your life will never be the same!  I swear!

Speaking of coffee...There is no better coffee maker on the planet than the one I have!!  It's made by Bunn (funny name for a coffee maker company, but hey...what can you do?)  Anyway, as you pour in cold water, hot water comes out and makes your coffee right before your eyes!!  Remember the "old days" when you had to pour the water in the coffee pot...then turn it on...and then wait 10 whole minutes before your coffee was finally done???  OH MY GOD!!  How much time have I wasted slumped over in a heap on my couch waiting for the life blood to finally brew...sheesh.  When I calculate that time loss every morning...its staggering.  This way, as soon as I pour the cold water, I can grab a cup and start slugging down my morning ‘success sludge' before I even wake up!  What could be better than that?

Another fine example - My new Moto Q9c!  Holy cow!  How in the world did I live this long without the ability to check my email, listen to music, surf the internet, text my buddies about who is playing the early football game on Fox and play a rousing game of Bubble Breaker all while sitting in the middle of church.  That was never possible before I got this phone!  Finally...something to do with my down time on a Sunday morning!!  (Yeah, I'm know I'm probably going to H-E-double hockey sticks for that last joke...but, its not funny without it...)

There are those that preach the simple life.  And, that's fine.  I'm a technology buff.  I've lived the simple life before...and, although I'm happy to have had the experience, I prefer my modern world of technological wonders and gizmos.  But, how does anyone enjoy camping?

I don't get people that like to go camping.  Most of my life was spent camping with my family.  I'm not really a fan.  I try to be...but, I just can't get into it like I used to back in the day.  I have no idea why anyone would want to work 51 weeks out of the year to provide modern conveniences for themselves and their families only to spend a week acting like they are homeless!!  It just doesn't compute.  I mean...I can live without the TV, the computer, and phone.  That doesn't bother me (because I have my Moto Q9c!!  I can get that stuff anywhere on the planet!!  HA!!) 

But, the things I truly miss while camping...

1. Toilets - enough said.
2. A shower - not really for me but more for the people I end up sharing the tent with cause they stink.  Not me.
3. My bed - I'm 37 years old.  I don't bounce back like I used to...a night on the ground causes me to need a chiropractor for about week.
4. A microwave - Sure, the fire will work for heating up food.  But, that takes sooo long!  And how long will it take after I shove a Hot Pocket on a stick to get it hot in the middle anyway??

As I have mentioned, I loved having the simple life when I was a kid.  But, I'm a modern guy.  I love my modern conveniences.  I don't think that necessity is the mother of invention, as the old adage says.  I think invention is a direct result of idleness...perhaps even laziness...in order to make my life easier.  And I like that!

Speaking of modern convenience, if you are in need of more buyers, please check out www.recr.com.  Or, call Clint Miller at 800-977-7058 or 406-329-7652.  Or, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

Let's face facts - Online marketing can be a very effective tool to help increase your sales pipeline.  However, a good number of sales professionals (agents included) do not take advantage of online or viral marketing as a way of helping increase their potential sales.  Social networking is a quick and simple way to help with this.  Yet, many do not participate in this form of ‘advertising'.  The question is....why?  Or...more appropriately...why not?

There are a couple of similar reasons that keep showing up from everyone that I mention this concept to...and these myths appear to keep them from moving forward putting them further and further behind their competition that are taking advantage of this marketing gem.  Here are the top 3 reasons I keep hearing:

"I can't sit at my computer all day long chit-chatting with people."

Guess what...You're right!  Unfortunately, this isn't what is required for effective social and viral marketing.  Believe it or not, this is about setting up relationships on a personal level rather than a sales level. 

Social networking, or rather SUCCESSFUL social marketing, in any online community will result in expanding your SOI (sphere of influence) even when you are not online.  Take the time to build dynamic profiles on social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, and many others.  These profiles will allow consumers to find your information even while you are not online. 

Think of it like a virtual message pad.  Visitors can show up...view your information...and even leave you messages or forward your profile to their friends further increasing your SOI.  Spending around an hour each week updating information on your profile (like listings) and responding to messages and you will see your SOI grow exponentially.

"I don't know how." (Or, any other version of the same statement.)

Well, to be honest...this is probably a really good thing.  Starting off in the online marketing world with your own blog is a lot like jumping into a Nascar without having driven before.  It will end up in a crash.  Real estate related social networking sites like ActiveRain, Trulia, and others will teach you how to connect with people around the globe and provide you with direction on how to share your experiences and knowledge in a manner that will help attract clients.  Keep up with this trend, then start your own blog and use these existing portals to drive traffic to your blog in time.

In the meantime, spend some time to locate other blogging sites involved with things you enjoy...and READ!  Reading results in the application of knowledge...and knowledge is power.  The more you read other blogs, the better you will get at your own.

"I already advertise."

Great!  You should...However, with dwindling circulation and nearly everyone that is younger than you looking for information online, newspaper advertising is no longer a wise use of marketing dollars.  It is expensive, ineffective, and difficult to track whether or not you are getting a return on your investment (ROI). 

Let's face it...for the price, you can't beat social networks!  They are FREE!  And, you can always track who comes from what site...and if you get a closing from any of it, you made money from it! 

In short, online marketing isn't easy.  But, it can be when done correctly.  Don't just jump in with both feet blindly.  Take your time and ease yourself into it properly.  If you do that...you will succeed in building trust with new clients and other agents around the country.  All of which will make you money in the long run!

If you would like information on how to get more internet buyers sent directly to you from www.recr.com, please contact Clint Miller at 800-977-7058 or 406-329-7652.  Or, contact Clint on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

My lovely wife is a paralegal...and being such, has access to the Montana Anotated Code.  (That means she knows the laws here for us non-legal peeps...)  Anyways...she brought home a few of the best and dumbest the other day...and I just had to share.

In Montana....

• It is illegal to have a sheep in the cab of your truck without a chaperone.
• It is a felony for a wife to open her husband's mail.
• Seven or more indians are considered a raiding or war party and it is legal to shoot them. (Repealed)
• It is a misdemeanor to show movies that depict acts of felonious crime.
• It is illegal for married women to go fishing alone on Sundays, and illegal for unmarried women to fish alone at all.
• When a prisoner is discharged from the penal system, the local authorities are supposed to give you a horse and a pistol.

The following ones are specific to the local communites highlighted --

Excelsior Springs
Balls may not be thrown within the city limits.

Helena
No item may be thrown across a street.

Salisbury
Pop bottles are not to be thrown on the ground.  They can be placed there, but not thrown.

Whitehall
It is illegal to operate a vehicle with ice picks attached to the wheels.

If you would like information on www.recr.com, please contact Clint Miller at 406-329-7652 or 800-977-7058.  Or, catch me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

Montana Golfing Rules Just Released: The Montana State Department of Fish and Wildlife is advising golfers to take extra precautions.

Be on the alert for bears while playing on Missoula, Gallatin, Helena, and Lewis and Clark National Forests Golf Courses.

They advise golfers to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert, but not to startle the bears unexpectedly.

They also advise you to carry pepper spray in the case of an encounter with a bear. It is also a good idea to watch for signs of bear activity. Golfers should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings on the golf course.

Black bear droppings are smaller and contain berries and possibly squirrel fur.

Grizzly bear droppings have bells in them and smell like pepper spray.

 If you would like information about www.recr.com, please contact Clint Miller at 406-329-7652 or 800-977-7058.  Or contact Clint on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

As I've Matured...

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you.  All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in...

I've learned that one good turn gets most of the blankets. 

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just jackasses.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
 
I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - They are more screwed up than you think. 
 
I've learned that depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

I've learned that it is not what you wear; it is how you take it off.

I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished.

I've learned to not sweat the small stuff...and that everything is small stuff.
 
I've learned that ex's are like fungus, and keep coming back.
 
I've learned age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.
 
I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.
 
I've learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
 
I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working in your house, one of your kids did it.
 
I've learned that there is a fine line between genius and insanity.
 
I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away. And the real pains in the ass are permanent.

If you would like information about www.recr.com, please do not hesitate to contact Clint Miller at 406-329-7652 or 800-977-7058.  Or, contact me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.