Keeping The Fire Burning

After so many years of marriage, I think I can offer qualified advice on how to keep things goin' when the goin' gets stuck.
Here are three letters to remember that will fix any problem in any relationship: UFC
If your first thought was Ultimate Fighting Championship then you're cool and in the now.
But that's not what they stand for in this context, here's where I'm goin':
Understanding is something that can only happen by looking at things from both sides-your's and their's.
Forgiving-once you do, don't go back.  To truly forgive, you gotta put it behind you. You may not forget but you can always forgive.  The Bible says to forgive seventy times seven times (not literally 490).
Compromise-let's face it, we are not perfect so we should be able to bend a little to make things work right?
Also, don't settle for just a flicker in your flame, fan the fire every now and then by doing something out of the norm but simple like taking him/her out to lunch or write a love letter to express your appreciation for what you both have.
Love is a many splendor thing and relationships should be multifaceted.  Change it up once in while and you should have an easier time making love last.  The grass isn't greener on the other side and you really don't know what you got 'til it's gone.  UFC, do it now!

A proponent of lasting relationships,

Jeff

Prom 1989

A Super Swift Weekend

Last Saturday I was in Manila to watch Taylor Swift perform live.  I took my two eldest kids and we had a blast!
I've been watching concerts since I was 15.  Some groups I've seen include:
Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Wham, Madonna (yes the Virgin tour where the opening act was Beastie Boys), Katrina & the Waves,  and many others.
In my line of work, I've done production for many concerts such as UB40, BoyzIIMen, Michelle Branch, and others.
What I'm getting at is that I've seen lots of performers/shows.
I have to say that Taylor Swift rocked the Araneta Colesium!  I only knew of a couple of her songs prior to the concert but now she's won my respect.
She sings and sounds just as good as she does on her cds (no she wasn't lip-syncing).  Her energy and musical abilities kept the arena charged.  And finally, she is one beautiful country girl!
Bundle all of that with 16,500 fans singing all her songs all night long and you had one awesome show!

I sat with my kids after the show at a restaurant and after all the hype about the concert I told them this:
"What makes this trip memorable for me is not just that we saw Taylor Swift but that I had always wondered what it would be like to hang out with my two eldest as adults".  The moment for me was a milestone.  And to put it into perspective, I told them to imagine what it'd be like to have their next youngest sister join us as an adult.
Wow, what a great father-child experience!  I wrote in one of my earlier blogs that in 2003 I had fullfilled a dream to drive my family from northern California to Disneyland in a minivan.  That was the same type of milestone and the same type of Fearless feeling I had.
The funny thing is-although I'm living out great adventures that were once ideas, I'm creating lasting impressions upon my kids that they will have and share with their own someday!
I guess you could say it's like an Enchanted Love Story that Belongs To Me...

Hope you liked this!

Jeff

Who you gonna call?

When is the last time the past came and haunted you?  I don't mean as in paranormal activity but rather past relationships, bad decisions, saying the wrong thing or a lie, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Recently, a friend of mine showed me a picture that was taken of him while he was out of town checking out a club and havin a good time.  The picture wasn't exactly of him but he was in the background.  Funny thing is, there was more than one pic.  This picture was found by his brother-in-law on Facebook.  No harm but what are the odds of that?
About 7 years ago I was teaching a class of high school seniors and one of the students started laughing and I asked him what was so funny and he said he saw a video tape (vhs) of me when I used to Dj in a nightclub in the early 90's.  He said I cussed in every thing I said, and that I seemed over happy as I drank my alcohol.
Wow! I couldn't believe it so I asked who showed him the tape and sure enough it was one of my "friends" who happen to make the recording.  I went to that friend the next day and he quickly destroyed the tape at my request.

If you've ever wronged someone or did something you still regret to this day, go and make it right.  Ask that person to forgive you or go and pay back the things you owe.  It's never too late to fix a mistake and make a good name for yourself.

Sadly, some choose to live in the past and be miserable each day.  I say be happy that you are alive today and live each day to the fullest!  Get those skeletons out of that closet today.

C'est La Vie,

Jeff

A Special Valentine

To make for a more memorable Valentines day, try doing something different or giving something other than candy and flowers.
Here are some ideas:
-create a video message and post it on Youtube then give him or her a card with the link
-buy a slide at the movie theater (you've seen the ads shown before the movies right?)
-bake some cookies or a cake
-have lunch or dinner somewhere you both have never gone before
-go to a scenic lookout and take pictures
These are just some of my practical ideas.  If you have any please share with us.

By the way, Paris is not over-rated when it comes to being a romantic city.  I was amazed at how you could feel the romance in the air there.  I have yet to take Marti there.  Now that would be different!

If you don't have anyone to share this Valentines day with then save this page cause your time will come.

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1Corinthians 13:6-7

Have a special day!

Jeff

In Manila

The Breaks

Legendary pioneer of rap music Kurtis Blow had a hit called "The Breaks".  In the song he rapped about the brakes on a bus, brakes on a car, and breaks that made you a superstar.
In the world of Djing (or what is now known as Turntablism), a break in a song is when an instrumental part happens (usually just percussion) and Djs would play this part in a loop to extend the song.
The term B-Boy is short for Break Boy and describes dancers (or Breakers) who dance to the break in the song extended by the Dj.

In life, we all need a break.

We can get so caught up in the now that we forget to "stop and smell the flowers".  What I mean is- find the time in each day to literally smell some flowers, or make a baby laugh, or take off your shoes and walk on grass.  This would be our break in the song.  These are the times to do our headspins or backspins (haha, i tried to do a backspin the other day and almost injured myself!  Kids were laughing though so it wasn't a wasted effort).

We live in an age where we get to work earlier, stay later, and put in extra hours on weekends.  In the mainland you can compute the number of hours spent in commute and find that we live a portion of our lives in our cars stuck in traffic.  Did someone say "road rage"?  Get out of the fast lane for once and take the scenic route, you'll live longer.

Take a break before you break.

Cheers!

Jeff

Giant Crocs in Korea

Big Business

I have been blessed to own two businesses.  JamzMedia is one I started in 2001 and is an event production company and Video Sonic which I started with two partners about 14 months ago.

JamzMedia does everything from promoting concerts to installing equipment into commercial buildings.  I've been doing this for years and my business has gotten huge - on the front side.
The front side is the perception.  It's what others think of your business.  Having a huge front side has allowed me to get some of the biggest contracts in my field.  You might call it confidence but whenever opportunity arises to do a large scale job, I make sure that the client believes in my company, believes in me, and believes we can work together.  The only way to do this is for me to believe in me.
I once was head organizer of a huge 10,000 attendees block party where I had government directors working with me and following my plans.

Here is my back side.  This, by the way, is info I don't share with everyone.  I guess you could call it my trade secrets.  I operate out of my home, I store half my equipment in my cargo van, and I print my own business cards.
My operating costs are very low but that doesn't mean I bid low or I charge less.  In fact I won't take projects that offer low pay, I will refer the jobs to my competitors who are happy to take them.  I do this because I'd rather do one job that makes $ 100 than four jobs to make $ 25 each.

On the front side, people see my business as growing, it's as if I'm here there and everywhere.  On the back side, I'm just a boy with a few toys.  But I love playing with my toys and people seem to want to give me money to play with my toys!

I'll share more on my business tips and tricks in upcoming blogs.

Be confident, honest, and do what you love and I'm sure you'll find some way to earn a comfortable living doing so!

Here's an interesting article: http://www.familybusinessstrategies.com/articles02/3262p.html


Jeff

Social NetWorld

Picture this:  Im on my main computer in the living room, my wife is on the computer on the breakfast nook in the kitchen, and my eldest daughter is on her laptop in between us.  We're all on Facebook.
So my daughter uploads a video, I watch it and Like it, and she gets a notice of my Like.  She looks over at me and starts laughing.  My wife also watches it from the kitchen.

Honestly, this is the first time we are all doing this at the same time (honest).  It seems kinda weird but what if this becomes a normal part of homelife in a couple of years?

Once my wife and I were chatting with each other online while only 10 feet apart.  It was short and sweet but probably more silly than anything.

Sometimes when I eat out with friends, we text or BB each other from across the table.  What is the world coming to?  Have you ever done this or are my friends and I psycho?

My 11 year old daughter keeps asking me for a FB account cause "all" her friends have one.  I told her to wait till shes 13.  I think the old-school side of me wants her to run and play (literally) like kids her age should do and not spend anymore time in front of a computer than she already does with homework and games.

Connectivity is the key to understanding today's world.  It's all about who you can add and who adds you.  It's kinda like dating backwards.  Add now, learn about each other later.  What about friendship?  Forget it, some post more on their FB accts than they tell their boyfriends or girlfriends.  On the web, all are equal.  What I mean is-the information is for all to see provided they are added.  There's no level 1 friends, or neighborhood friends, or best friends.
There's no turning back kids, lets continue to add one another and post our daily experiences in hopes that someone will accept us or read into our lives. 

So wether you're on the other side of the world, or in the next room, msg me and I'll try to reply!

Jeff

Father Knows Best

Being a family man is one of the toughest jobs you'll ever love.
On a scale of 1-10 I rate myself a 10 and I could say I'm the perfect family man.
I didn't say I was the best, I said I was perfect in that I meet all the requirements such as:
-Have wife
-Have kids
-Have pets
-Have debts
-Have income
-Have home
Ok you get the picture right?

Like most parents, I want to give my kids the things I didn't have that I knew I should've had growing up.  The first of those is two real parents (not guardians) to raise them.  My guardians were the best but I shouldn't have been their responsibility.
When it comes to material things, my kids were taught at a very young age the difference between wants and needs.  Whenever they would get toys, it would come as rewards for good behaviour.  Even then, the toys would have some educational value and would be something they could share with each other (board games, science kits, etc. no guns).
One of the most important things my family has is consistent prayer, and thanksgiving to God.  Having God in the center of your family will bring the peace and contentment in times of chaos and disunity.
The moral of today's story is:
Work hardest at the things money can't buy for your family and make sure God is part of your household.

Be blessed!

Jeff

The Rock

I believe Guam is/was called The Rock because of a war movie from the seventies.
When I lived in the mainland and whenever I would tell people I was born on Guam, they would ask questions like "where is that?" or "do people speak english there?" or even "do people there wear clothes?"
Depending on the mood I was in, I would either give them a straight answer or joke around and say stuff like "some wear clothes and some don't".
Living on an island has its limitations but for me the pros outweigh the cons.
After her second year in college, Marti and I decided we would move back to where we were both born and start our lives together there.
In as much as I loved SF and had many friends and family there, I knew that I could live comfortably on Guam.
First time visitors to Guam will notice the lush green jungles and the deep blue ocean waters that are visible from most areas.  They will also quickly feel the high humidity.  KMart, Home Depot, and ChuckECheese have brought the mainland a little closer to home.

I think my wife and I made the right decision to start our family here.  Our kids are not over-exposed to the same urban influences we were (i.e. drugs, crime, etc).  There are problems here but not as frequent and not as drastic as in the states.

Because of Guam's proximity to Asia, we are able to visit places like Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Manila more often than when we lived in the states.

With the impending military buildup, Guam will be dramatically different 5 years from now but I look forward to possibilities the increase in popluation will bring. Unfortunatelly, not all here share my optimism.

If you live outside of Guam, come and visit us and I will show you around!  If you live here then take a minute to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us cause it might not be here tomorrow.

Hafa Adai!!

Jeff

For Real For Reals

In High School my close friends and I used to have a code for when we were really telling the truth about something.
When we wanted to simply convince others we would use "For Real".
Amongst ourselves, we knew that the only time something was really true was when we added an "s" to the second "For Real".  The code was "For Real For Reals"Ok, now this is public and no longer secret.
What's the point right?
Well, one of the first reality shows was MTV's "Real World"
It was a huge hit but the reality couldn't be further from the truth.  The show was scripted, they used actors, and viewers were brainwashed into believing that filthy language, premarital sex, sleeping around, and hatred were completely acceptable and many welcomed this into their living rooms.
When you think about it though, these shows have been around for some time now, we used to call them soap operas.
Don't give up on the idea of a wholesome family lifestyle.  Life is less complicated when we live simple and are true to ourselves, our family, and our friends.
Take off the mask and be free!  For real for reals!

Jeff

No Scrubs

Chivalry is defined as courtesy to women as an ideal knight.
Is chivalry dead?
I started this blog in hopes of helping my brothers of this world get back down to earth and for the sisters out there to understand Martian.
Robert Kiyoaski is famous for his book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". It's a bestseller that tells how he learned from the strengths and weaknesses of his "two dads" and became a very successful business man.

I too had two dads.  One was my biological father and the other was my uncle who raised me.
From my uncle dad I learned how to be a man's man.  He wasn't perfect but he took care of business.  He raised all of us with a firm hand and a gentle smile.  He didn't let his daughters go out at night and made sure we always ate dinner together as a family.  He also kept his vow to his wife and stayed married til death parted them.

Guys, lets get back to taking care of business.  One man at a time, we can turn the tides of fathers leaving their kids and wives.  I believe we can lower that statistic that says 1 out of 2 marriages will end in divorce.  I believe if God wanted us to hit women he would've given them bigger muscles to hit back.  And finally, I highly recommend we all get in touch with our spiritual side.  Having God in my life has given me hope for my sons' and daughters' futures.  I've learned how to be strong not just on the outside but on the inside as well.
This may be a little heavy for some but it's my purpose, and my prayers are that my blogs help others to find themselves.

I named my firstborn son after my uncle dad.

Have a blessed day!

Jeff

A Hairy Situation

You know you're a child of the 80's when you still blow-dry your hair and pump it up.
My unique identifier is my hair.
Every day I have to set aside 12-15 minutes to fix my hair.
When I was 16 my cousin who was a cosmetologist taught me how to turn my otherwise limp, no-body hair, into a fashion statement that I haven't changed to this day.
Here's the process (as if I were doing an info-mercial):
1) Wash and Rinse
2) Towel dry then blow dry
3) While first blow drying use round brush to curl hair back
4) When hair is dry, rub two dabs of the strongest gel you can find into your hair
6) Blow dry again and repeat curling while doing so
7) Use the strongest hair spray and spray lightly to "reactivate dry gel"  (be careful, hair will set)
8) For dry look spray onto brush, for wet look spray directly onto hair.  Use teasing brush if necessary.
9) When desired style is achieved, spray lightly once more to lock in look.

Only people that are really close to me have seen me do this process so if you have-your special! =)

At 14, prior to all this, I use to get "rice-bowl" hair cuts.   Its called that because it looks like you take a bowl, put in on your head, and cut around it.  See attached picture for laughs.

Have a fun day!

Jeff

An Email Got Me To Europe.

Aren't Fireworks cool?
For the longest time I wondered what it would be like to be a real Pyrotechnician (someone who shoots fireworks).
In 2007 I Googled the top Pyro companies in the world and sent emails to a few of them.  I asked for information on getting started in Pyro.
One took me seriously and not only replied but also wanted to meet me.  I explained to them that the only guy that was licensed in Guam had died (of old age) and there was no one else to do it and that it would be a good business opportunity.
Before you know it, one of the owners of the company visited and I took him around to see the island.
He told me that if I really wanted to learn the art and learn it quick I should help his company on projects.
He invited me to join him on a project in Instanbul Turkey.  They covered my expenses and I was on my way!
It was the most awesome eight day job I ever had!  The whole time I kept thinking I was going to wake up and find out I was only dreaming.
We loaded firworks on 10 barges (huge no-passenger ships used for hauling stuff), 5 rooftops, and 1 bridge the size of the Golden Gate in SF.

There are many things to do still to get licensed and there are lots of investments that need to happen for me to really get into Pyro but if you have an idea or dream, anything can happen!

That one email took me through Amsterdam, Paris, and Turkey! Hmmm, where do I want go next?

Live your dreams!

Jeff