I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus!

This is a rather silly confession to make. When I was about 10, I was genuinely shocked and quite reluctant to sing this popular Christmas song because of what the lyrics meant to me back then...

Oh, what a laugh it would have been 
If Daddy had only seen,
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night!

I would think to myself: Nope, Daddy won't be laughing if he saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus.

You see... growing up in Asia, our dads never dress up as Santa on Christmas. We'd go to church, the mall or school halls and they would hire someone to dress up as Santa Claus. That's why for the longest time I thought, "Mommy is going to be in trouble with daddy if this really happened! Why would this kid sing about it as if it's a fun thing to tell daddy? Isn't that cheating?!"

Good thing this misunderstanding is all cleared up now... I can now happily sing along with a whole new perspective on Santa's new identity.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Something's Missing in Hong Kong this Holiday Season

Now I know...

Thanksgiving Holiday wouldn't be the same without the cold, wintry nights
Christmas lights wouldn't look as magical without the snow outside and the warmth of the house inside

Yes, the cold, grey slush and traffic jam are unpleasant
But it makes the final arrival at home all the more comforting

Holiday shopping is great, discounts are even better!
But gathering with friends and loved ones is what matters for the soul

Never thought I'd say this so soon, but...
I miss the holidays in Chicago.

How to be a Kick-Ass Assistant Producer for Talk Shows

There was a time in my not-so-distant past where I was working for the Jerry Springer Show as Assistant Producer. It's one thing to land the job... and it's another thing to stay in the job. Leave your emotions checked at the door, because when you're in show-biz, only one thing matters: The show must go on!

Here's what I learned from my time at The Jerry Springer Show: #1 You gotta have an ear for a great story. Tons of ppl will leave msgs to get on the show, but you'll have to come up with a great pitch for a great show. So, lots of researching, calling and convincing all parties over the phone to come to ur show.

#2 Once you have guests, u have to 'prep' them emotionally. If you're gonna have two women fighting over one man on stage, give both women plenty of energy drinks. If you're going to have a woman come up on stage crying, don't try to console her while she's in the 'green room' (this is where we keep guests from running into one another in the hallway and starting a show of their own off camera). A show producer pulled me aside once for trying to pacify a distraught guest in the green room. The producer said, "What are you doing? We want her that way." In essence, you can't let your conscience get in the way of making a great show.

#3 HAVE FUN & make it happen!!!! People in show-biz love a great energy and go-getters. Convey to them that you'll go the extra mile and you'll go far in show-biz.

My Take on Homosexuality & the Society

Why do we judge, punish, and unfairly treat those who have a different sexual lifestyle than we do?
You say because it's a sin.

Well, guess what.... Your porn addiction, your lies, your promiscuity, and your prejudice are equally sinful in God's eyes. But did society penalize you by not letting you enjoy and share in the health benefits and other privileges that come with being married to the one you love? No.

So, why do we think so highly of ourselves that we dare to decide how a fellow human being deserves to be mistreated when we are just as sinful?

Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

Let God be the judge of our actions. And until that day of judgment comes, remember to do this each and every day of our numbered lives:

John 15:12

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Deadweight Newsroom Management

Data speaks volumes about how your company is doing. I get it... numbers matter. If you're a newsroom manager, you want growing viewership. One way to get that done is to have more news pieces so more stories can be covered that satisfies a lot more people's interests. But instead of hiring more staff, you squeeze your existing staff to the last drop.

Reporters working in medium and small-size cities are often pushed to do one-man band (producer/ interviewer/videographer/driver/editor-all-in-one). They have to cover at least three to four stories a day... some say they were asked to do six. No, not six versions of a couple of stories per day, but actually six different news stories. To top it off, reporters have to create a web-version, tweet the story, and engage the viewers both online and offline.

As human beings with time constraints, it comes down to either doing a few things very well or doing everything at the bare minimum. Unfortunately, management prefers the latter. But, in the world of journalism, it's not only about how many news articles your newsroom produces in a day that will raise your ratings, viewer count, Facebook 'Likes' and/or circulation. It's also about relevance and quality. Not just quantity.

If your news pieces are irrelevant or of poor quality, they do not hold any value. They do not deserve and will not get any attention. You might try the shocking headline tactic to get people to do a double-take, but that's all you'll get. Soon enough, advertisers will get in on the pathetic attempt to inflate your numbers and channel their advertising dollars elsewhere.

You may say, "Well, that's how we'll weed off the poor performing newsrooms." Unfortunately, this is done at the expense of talented journalists who would've earned your newsroom an award or two if given the chance and resources to make it possible.

Great managers should strive to find the balance between quality and quantity in an ever-changing environment.