Alex Falconi, Administrator at Our Nevada Judges (2014-present)
Yes, and Judge Judy explains the reasons as to why better than anyone else ever could. The privacy concerns individual litigants have are outweighed by the incompetence that pervades the entirety of the judicial system. She advocates for cameras not only in criminal and ordinary civil proceedings, but also domestic relations matters involving children. She understands that children have privacy concerns, but the judiciary has become so incompetent as to how they rule on child issues that she feels cameras need to be in the courtroom so that the public can be more aware as to what is going on.
In her own words, “political hacks” and “morons” are being “appointed” to preside over the Family Divisions of the various courts (at least in New York).
I was in Coronado this last week and had an absolutely fabulous meal. In the heart of the town, only a few blocks from the famed Hotel Del Coronado is Primavera Ristorante.
They had just celebrated their 30th year, so you know they are good. Mother and daughter team of Jeannette and Denise Stavros are the owners. The restaurant is on the main street, 932 Orange Ave, and has easy parking. Their Northern Italian cuisine is tempting to anyone who loves a grand meal. Primavera has been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
I saw some beautiful prosciutto e melone with imported buffalo mozzarella coming out and the biggest plate of delicious Osso Buco. It was tempting to order both, but I knew the menu was filled with many more delightful items. Like the Lobster ravioli for a start! We did hold back from ordering any of these and finally started with some great calamari and succulent stuffed mushrooms. The salad was spinach with bacon and goat cheese, absolutely fresh and tasty. I ordered for my main course the chicken breast with risotto, mushrooms, and artichokes. My guest had a beautiful piece of salmon, with risotto rice balls and broccolini. Service was great and it was amazing. The chef for the night was Tanea Maldonado and she deserves high praise. The interior draws your mind to dining in the heart of New York, but luckily, they are in southern California.
Be sure to come to the next trip there. Primavera1st.com, 619-435-0454. They are open Sunday thru Thursday from 5-9 and Saturday from 5 to 10.
In order to be successful in the world of sales, it is imperative that you surround yourself with successful people who are going to take you to levels beyond your imagination.
When I tell people to quit being a Lone Ranger, I am expressing to them the importance of getting plugged in with other successful people. Let’s face it, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
In order to have great success in our business, it’s very important that you know exactly what you would like to accomplish. If you do not have a specific plan, it’s hard to get excited about working. If you have not done this already, get yourself a journal and write out what you would like to accomplish today. After you have done that, write out the goals you have for the week. Long-term goals are very important as well. Where exactly would you like to be one year from today? How about five years? Write out all your goals, map out a plan and now you have something to be excited about. You know exactly what you would like to achieve.
Once you have your specific goals, now it is time to tap into all the resources that are available to help you succeed. Here with RMS, we set you up for great success. You actually have the opportunity to watch a professional working in the field. You get one on one training.
Our new website, RMSsupercrew.com is loaded with all of the RMS sales training and inspiration shows. There are almost 50 shows available now. In the shows, we teach you about cold calling, closing more effectively, having a simple presentation as well as understanding merchant statements. The shows are filled with testimonies, motivation and inspiration. For our newer representatives, we have our complete two-day orientation and training program on video. This is exclusively designed to help Retriever representatives get off to a good start. We will provide the password for our representatives to be able to view these videos. Within our organization, if you tap into all these resources and work consistently, you can have great success.
Through my experience in the field of selling and training, I have found that the representatives that reach out and ask questions are the ones who will have the most success. This is especially true for new representatives, because they obviously are going to have a lot of questions while they are out there working in the field. I’ve said this to all of our leaders and trainers a thousand times, “If a representative is not reaching out looking for assistance, they simply are not working.”
Let me encourage all of you to reach out to the top performers and find out what makes them tick. You will find certainly that they are talented but most of all, you will also find out that they have a burning desire to succeed and a strong work ethic. Surround yourself with these type of people and let their attitudes rub off on you. Winners hang around with winners and success breeds success.
Make a commitment today to start reaching out to some of the top performers. Choose to be around positive and successful people. The success journey is an amazing one. Jump on board the success train and hang out with the winners.
Meet Sally. Sally is a survivor of human trafficking. Yep! An icon representing courage in the communities and people she touches. She is also a seasoned professional model who you probably have seen in biker-related media before. Sally is a true warrior. Her story and what she went through is gut-wrenching. I am privileged to be her friend. Sally is a mother to six children and grandmother of two. She is currently Co-Director of “Fighting Against Trafficking Organization”. Sally also strongly focuses on her practice as a consultant championing the cause of victims’ rights of sexual crimes, domestic abuse, and violence against women and children.
Sally recently won a supreme court case in South Dakota, making it case law across the country, thus giving victims of abuse who are able to prove they have long suffered and currently still suffer from their abuse, the ability to take their perpetrator to civil court for a jury trial and pursue punitive damages. If you voted in the last election, one of the issues to vote on your ballot was a direct result of Sally’s hard work on behalf of victims nationwide.
Sally’s expertise has been utilized by legislators throughout the Midwest to help pass new and tougher sex trafficking legislation. She is a sought-after speaker and has successfully contributed to organizations such as; Creighton University’s Human Trafficking Initiative, Women’s Fund, NHTTF Thriver Committee, National Survivor Network, and the Polaris Project.
Sally is also a biker. As I write this she is attending, leading the charge at the globally known Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The organizers, as well as the city of Sturgis, think human trafficking is a problem bikers need to fight against as well. So much so they decided to team-up with Sally’s organization and conduct a charity ride called “FAST Ride” which stands for “Fight Against Sex Trafficking”. In their Memorandum of Understanding the organizer’s state; “We recognize that trafficking doesn’t happen because of events like Sturgis. It happens because demand exists wherever there are large gatherings of people, and traffickers are more than willing to leverage any event to exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain. But we also recognize that the biker community, in general, is filled with good, compassionate men and women who could be inspired and engaged in combatting this evil; and this is the opportunity we hope to capitalize on with the “Sturgis F.A.S.T. Ride 2019” ”
“FAST Ride Sturgis” event will consist of a one-day charity ride. The event will provide the opportunity for “Fighting Against Trafficking” to have a platform to be heard on the issues of Human Trafficking. It will also allow the “EPIK Project” to enroll more men into the movement and for the City of Sturgis to proactively participate in the solution as well. The City of Sturgis, “EPIK” and “Ride My Road” will combine efforts to host the actual charity ride with the goal of 150-200 riders participating and purchasing ride tickets. Proceeds from the ride will go to the “EPIK Project”. “FAST Ride Sturgis”, “Ride My Road” and “EPIK” will also partner in creating a custom “Survivor Bike.” A bike that has been donated for the purposes of creating a one-off custom build. Proceeds from the bike raffle will go to a local organization “Fighting Against Trafficking”. The city of Sturgis has generously offered to help promote and market the “Sturgis FAST Ride” within the biker community and within the various networks connected with the rally. Sturgis will also lend logistical and tactical support to event partners with the possibility of a press conference.
Fighting Against Trafficking is an SD-based nonprofit organization led by survivor-leader Sally Richardson and Senator Lynne Hix-DiSanto. Proceeds from this event will benefit the development of services for victims of sex trafficking.
The EPIK Project is a Pacific NW-based nonprofit with work across 11 cities nationally. EPIK focuses on engaging male allies in the effort to combat the demand that drives sexual exploitation.
Ride My Road in partnership with The EPIK Project, is a producer of the FAST ride. Ride My Road is committed to bringing awareness to the fight against human trafficking among the biker community. Through fundraising and public speaking Ride My Road supports survivor-led organizations and celebrates survivors through photography and media.
There are multiple well-intentioned organizations fighting against human trafficking in the nation. All effective in their own merit to various degrees. Sally so far has championed the cause because of her own testimony and expertise consulting with various organizations.
Whatever you are focusing on, that’s what you will become. This is why I always say that focusing on the positive is absolutely imperative if you want to live a successful life.
The reality is that there are a plethora of negative influences around us. All you have to do is turn on the news and they will tell you all about the wars, the destruction, crime, and divided politics. Unfortunately, the people you might surround yourself with have “Debbie Downer Syndrome.” They look for the negative in all situations.
If you find yourself in a situation where things may not be going your way, whether it is in business or daily living, it’s probably time to change what you are focusing on. Today, I would like to share a few tips on keeping your focus positive.
1) Start Your Day Positively.
How you begin your morning sets the tone for the day. I believe one of the big mistakes people make when they get up is that they turn on the news or stream through social media, which in many cases just promotes division.
For those of you who wake up to an alarm clock, change your focus and wake up to an opportunity clock. As soon as that opportunity clock goes off, begin your countdown 3-2-1 and then jump out of bed. If you are not already exercising, start an exercise program, go for a morning walk. Listen to some positive music. Sing in the shower. Start your day with gratitude. The moment any thoughts of worry or doubt creep into your mind, immediately zap those thoughts and change them into inspirational and positive ones. Every morning, focus on at least five things you are grateful for. Begin each day with an attitude of gratitude.
2) Surround Yourself with Winners.
You become who you hang with. This is why it’s important that you be very careful about who you surround yourself with. Find the people that are in life where you want to be and start hanging out with them. Reach out to them. You’ll find that the majority of successful people and positive people enjoy mentoring those that are climbing the ladder of success.
As you are doing this, it’s very important to remind yourself daily that you are a winner. Dress, act, and greet all people in the manner that a winner would. Be an encourager. Walk fast, talk loud, give a firm handshake and if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours. Be the type of person that others want to be around.
3) At the end of the day, reflect on the positive.
We all have good and bad days. When you do have a bad day, the worst thing you can do is take that into the next day. For the failures that you had throughout the day, understand that they are part of your success plan. In order to succeed, you must fail. Write down what you have learned and also how you can improve.
Celebrate your successes and most of all, be thankful for the wonderful opportunities you have been given. No matter what happens in life, keep your focus positive. Be the type of person that is joyful. Spread good cheer and at the end of each evening, before you go to bed, end the day by reflecting on a minimum of five things that you are grateful for.
It’s all about focus. If you find yourself not keeping the positive spirit, you have to ask yourself what you are focusing on. Positive focus equals positive life.
CHOSUN HWARO & NARA TEPPAN opened the largest Korean BBQ and Teppan Experience on the strip. This is the first authentic Korean BBQ on the strip and the largest in Nevada. General Manager Eli Kim is ready to show the U.S. an authentic dining experience with all-new unique recipes. There are two kinds of dining experiences, barbecue selections grilled at their seats or a teppanyaki show at custom cooking tables. This huge 13,000 sq. ft space has 30 Korean BBQ tables, 12 teppanyaki tables and can hold 485 people. The menu has table grill meat options including Pearl Steak and Boneless Galbi. The restaurant will be open daily 9 a.m. 2 a.m. ChosunNara.com or call 702-369-9637. Located off of Harmon, free valet parking.
CLEOPATRA’S BARGE will now have the famous singer Dionne Warwick, with her new show called “An Evening with Dionne Warwick”. Starting on Sept. 5th until March 1st, Dionne will perform on certain dates on the barge. This year Warwick received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her hit songs.
JOURNEY has added more dates for the COLOSSEUM. Starting on October 9th, they have added dates in December and as a first for New Year’s Eve. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, August 2nd.
THE PLAZA DOWNTOWN has a new show entitled “Comedy Works”. In the Plaza showroom, which has 450 seats, consisting of booths, table, and beautiful chandeliers, the shows will begin in September. Running Thursday thru Saturday.
Alex Falconi’s approach at scrutinizing the judiciary is making headway as for the first time a judicial department has allowed his organization to broadcast live from a courtroom.
Our Nevada Judges, for which Mr. Falconi is the administrator, is following the case of The State of Nevada vs. Michael McDonald, which involves criminal charges of perjury, forgery, and burglary, stemming from conduct in a high conflict child custody case between the Defendant and his ex-wife.
It is with pleasure to sit down with Beverly Pomerantz and dig deep into the life of a casting director. Her busy schedule barely allows time to give an interview, but, NSAEN, was lucky to get an interview between casting calls.
What have you learned about people as someone who has witnessed all types of personalities?
I have learned that everyone has a story. Just by interviewing contestants you can get a sense of who they are and why being on a game show is so important to them. Some people want to win to pay their rent or pay bills, others to just have fun and most of them want to travel and maybe buy a home (which has happened many times with the contestants I have interviewed. It’s great seeing their lives change.
What was your path into television and how did you end up as a casting director?
I was very shy growing up and really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I started working for banks and I came out of my shyness by talking and helping customers. As much as I enjoyed working at banks (as I started having fun with the customers) I realized that I wanted to work with people in a good mood, not people being upset with the bank. I called a friend and mentioned I was looking for a new job. She said “can you be dressed in half an hour,” I said yes. I went to Merrill Heatter’s home (he created the fun game show “Hollywood Squares”) we spoke for a few minutes and I got hired to work in the front office. A few weeks later I was asked to work in the game show casting department and as they say, “the rest is history.” My first 3 days auditioning contestants I was so nervous that I had to hold my elbows on the table so it wouldn’t shake up and down. After the 3rd day, I realized that even though I was more nervous than the contestants, they thought they were more nervous than me, so I decided to have fun with it. I was very blessed to work in this business for over 35 years and still working.
You are known as the casting Queen of the Game Shows, what inspired you to target game shows?
I had a very tall boyfriend who was 6’7” and thought he would be perfect as a contestant for “Match Game” He auditioned and was selected. I then went for an audition and found the process not that much fun but thought someday I would love to audition contestants and make the process entertaining for them which I know I have. I have had many of them say to me that even if they don’t get selected, they had a great time. That warms my heart.
Historically many women in the business have been challenged with equality and respect within the entertainment industry. How difficult was it for you to make a name for yourself?
I remember casting a game show and the producers wanted a man to be the host while auditioning the contestants. I spoke up and said that I would be able to hold the auditions also, so they agreed to watch me do the interviews and playing the game with them and I got the job. I’m very good at finding great contestants for game shows, especially when I’m out in the field like markets, shopping centers, movies, etc. I know exactly what they are looking for.
When you are casting for a specific show, what are your expectations and what qualities do you look for?
You always want to make sure the contestants know how to play the game and are very outgoing and talkative with lots of personalities. If they are shy or quiet, then, of course, they may not be the best contestant. I remember a girl came to audition for “Hollywood Showdown” and she came in on a wrong day. I didn’t have the heart to have her come back and had a feeling that she would not be a good contestant but auditioned her anyways. It turned out she was great, and a contestant canceled her taping for the following day, and I booked the new girl and she walked home with $15,000.00. It’s never good to make a fast judgment as you never know what energy they may have when they audition. I have so many funny stories to share.
In your opinion, how has casting changed over the past 35 years?
For many of the game shows I have cast, besides auditioning the contestants and I always been at the studio. A lot of the gameshows hires a casting department to audition contestants, but they hire a separate staff to be at the studio. The most fun for me is being at the studio with the contestants to help them and root for them.
Once you take on a new project do you already know what you are looking for and what you are expecting from your contestants?
Basically yes, but things can change when you are auditing them. What you thought you wanted may be different what and you are happy you can make changes at that moment.
How do you plan and prepare for your casting calls?
You call everyone and set up their audition and hopefully, they call you back to confirm. If they don’t call you back within a day, I may call them again, but if you don’t hear back, you just move on to other people.
When you discover a talent that might not fit into one of your current projects, do you keep a mental note of that person for later?
I always keep their records in case they may be better for another show.
After years of casting, what is your biggest pet peeve when talent comes in for an audition?
If I’m casting a movie they need to look like their headshot, not have one that’s over 5 years old. Also, for contestants, if they have a bad attitude, which happens on occasion I send them home without taping the show. I had a contestant come into tape when the producers wanted him to pay attention at rehearsal, he was too busy reading the paper. When I mentioned that to him in a very nice way, he became rude, so I sent him home. There is no room for rudeness on the set.
How has technology affected the industry, and do you also use Skype or Zoom to audition?
Skype can be used but I prefer to audition contestants in person if possible. You get a better sense of them.
How do you find time to give lectures in schools and organizations with a busy schedule like yours?
When asked, I make time. It’s great to educate people on how to audition for a game show. I used to teach a Game Show Seminar and play practice games with hopeful contestants so they would understand the process.
You have worked on many popular game show hosts, from “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader with Jeff Foxworthy, Family Feud with Ray Combs and Richard Dawson, All-Star Blitz with Peter Marshall, Classic Concentration with Alex Trebek, Catch 21 with Alfonso Ribeiro, Common Knowledge with Joey Fatone, just to name a few. Are you considering writing a book about your life as a casting director?
I would love to write a book. Growing up in Hollywood and working in television I have many stores to share. I have photos of so many contestants on different shows.
Your calling was to be a casting director, however, if you would have to choose a different profession, what would you like to be?
That’s hard to say, but defiantly working with people. Maybe a teacher or working in a big hotel. Maybe even being a travel tour guide since I love traveling.
What does the next chapter of your life look like?
LIFE “Live It Fully Every Day” as we never know what the next day brings. Maybe cast a few more shows, volunteer time to different charities, do more traveling and just enjoying what life has to offer.
With the last question, what advice would you give to those starting out in entertainment and how do you get casting agents to pay attention to you.
‘Think outside the box. I went to an interview for a show on MTV. Where I arrived there, everyone was in their 20’s and 30’s interviewing for the position. I went to the producer, shook his hand and said” I’m 24 and I wear sparkles” and got the job. I was over 40 at the time. Let the company know how you can be an asset to them.
A new show at the V theater- which now has 12 shows running. BLOND INVASION is the newest with tribute artists of Britney, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. Katie Murdock portrays Britney, Coty Alexander as Madonna and Chistina Shaw perfects the image of Lady Gaga. All three have long been great performers and perfect duplicates of their real-life songbirds. 7 p.m. nightly except for Sunday in Planet Hollywood.
Now Las Vegas has topped everything. A $100 sandwich at Ike’s Love and Sandwiches in the Fashion Show Mall. They have 55 locations across the country, but this is the only place that features this extravagant treat. American wagyu roast beef fresh from Idaho, along with brisket and prime rib and a supreme truffle sauce on top. Don’t order too many or there will be nothing left to play the table games with.
Downtown on Fremont the stage now allows individuals to go on stage at Cat’s Meow Karaoke. It started in New Orleans and now Vegas just seems like they should have one. Open to anyone and free to sing.
Also, Downtown, the old Binions Gambling Hall is adding rooms and furnishing them like 1932. That’s right, almost 100 years ago. All totally made over and redone and ready to launch this month. Many movie stars like Lucille Ball and Clark Gable stayed at the original Binions Hotel
I came into the field of direct sales at the age of 18. And, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over these years is that sales is not just about giving a pitch. I have found that the keys to success in the field of selling are to be sincere, but most of all be genuine, in truly wanting to help people.
No matter what product or service you are selling, your potential customers have problems that need to be solved. They have goals and aspirations and they are trying to figure out how to achieve them.
The reason why many salespeople may not have great success is because they simply do not listen. They have bought into the misconception that in order to be successful they have to be smooth and fast-talking. They believe that they have to have “the gift of gab.”
I’d also like to point out that when it comes to sales, that is definitely not a gift. Many salespeople walk into a potential client and they just talk and talk and wonder why they are not closing. The reality is they talk so much that they talk themselves out of the sale.
Your goal should be to gain a clear understanding of what a merchant is trying to accomplish and learn why it’s important to them. This can never be done by selling or pitching. Your goal is to get people to like you. The way you do that is to be yourself; be genuine, sincere, and have strong eye contact. By getting them to like you, they are going to start listening to you and as time goes on, they will begin to trust you. This is a process.
I’m going to make a statement here that I want you to understand if you plan on having great success in sales–“The best salespeople are the best listeners.” Unfortunately, I have seen many salespeople pitch their product or service without developing any kind of rapport with their potential client.
If you are just out there pitching people because you need to make a sale, get used to hearing this a lot, ”Do you have a business card? Thanks for your time, we can’t make any decisions now. We have to think about it. We will call you when we are ready, etc., etc., etc.”
Regardless of where you are financially, it’s imperative that you do not go out into the field with “I need to make a sale” stamped on your forehead.
Starting today, throw away your sales pitch and make a decision to go out and help somebody. Get to know your prospects. The way you do that is by asking questions. When you ask questions, focus on what the merchant is telling you. If they know that you are sincerely listening and you genuinely want to help them, you will start to experience positive responses. Once a merchant feels they can trust you, you will be amazed at how much they share with you. When you find out what their needs are, you can come up with a solution on how to HELP them.
Being in the field of direct selling is certainly an adventure. If you adopt this philosophy of helping and not selling, you will have a very lucrative and incredible journey of success.
My questions for you now are: Who are you going to help today and HOW MANY are you going to help today?
In this article, we delve into the enduring charm of classic lingerie styles, the luxurious fabrics that make them, and how to incorporate and care for these pieces in your wardrobe.
My guest had a beautiful piece of salmon, with risotto rice balls and broccolini. Service was great and it was amazing. The chef for the night was Tanea Maldonado and she deserves high praise. The interior draws your mind to dining in the heart of New York, but luckily, they are in southern California.
The menu has table grill meat options including Pearl Steak and Boneless Galbi. The restaurant will be open daily 9 a.m. 2 a.m. ChosunNara.com or call 702-369-9637. Located off of Harmon, free valet parking.
