Angie's Top 5's

5 Signs the 24 Producers Loved the 80's

2009-12-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of 24, this will make sense to you. (If not, you'll think the rest of us are obsessive and crazy). After two years of madly trying to catch up to 24, I'm finally on Season 7, and hoping to finish it before Season 8 starts airing in January. The casting decisions have been interesting to watch, and in particular, Dave and I have loved the comings and goings of several 80's actors.

Someone behind 24 must have loved the 1980's, and given these actors roles on 24 as a shout-out! I love seeing them on the show now, even though it makes me feel old and sad for them because they are all clearly past their prime. Alas, much like their careers, their stints on 24 are short-lived:

1. Sean Astin
When he showed up as Lynn McGill for half of Season 5 before dying in the nerve gas attack, all I could think of was Samwise Gangee and his big hairy feet. Even though I loved him in the 80's in the pre-pudgy days, as Mikey in the Goonies, I didn't like this casting. How could this short, lispy man be running CTU?

2. Ricky Schroeder
Great casting, but WTF happened to his face? Silver Spoons was great as Agent Mike Doyle in Season 6, but instead of rolling him off onto a stretcher with his eyes blown out, they should've just killed him.

3. C. Thomas Howell
Hardly recognizable as Kim Bauer's creepy psychologist-slash-boyfriend Barry, he shows up for 2 episodes in Season 5. Lookin' a little rough, this was a bit part (hardly spoke!) for an actor that I will always regard as Ponyboy, and "stay gold" he did not. As well, this casting must have been some sort of favor, because this guy is the same age as Kiefer Sutherland and way too old to be Kim's boyfriend.

4. Chad Lowe
Looking the best out of all of these 80's actors, he has maintained some youth while living in the shadow of his brother Rob and his ex-wife Hilary Swank. He doesn't have the same screen presence as his brother, but his portrayal of Reed Pollock as the shifty deputy chief of staff was spot on in Season 6.

5. Other Randoms in Short (2-episode) Appearances

Sara Gilbert
From Roseanne fame, this actress hasn't shown up in anything regular since playing Darlene Connor in the late 80's. It's too bad her appearance in Season 2 was uneventful and passed pretty quickly... I guess they only had room for one female nerd at CTU.

Lou Diamond Philips
La Bamba shows up in Season 2 as the guard at the underground prison where Victor Drazen (Dennis Hopper) is being held. I think he called in a favor to his Young Guns co-star to get him this short gig on 24.

Kevin Dillon
OK, this isn't a big name from the 80's, but much like "Johnny Drama", I'm sure he's been trying to work since the '80s. When he appeared on 24 in Season 2 as the creepy loner living in the woods in the annoying Kim Bauer side-story of that season, he hadn't started playing Johnny Drama on Entourage yet. But by the time I saw Season 2 on DVD, I was already a fan of Entourage. So seeing him on 24 with the same voice, mannerisms and insecure personality, all I could think of was Johnny Drama.

Jesse Borrego
Remember him? He played Jesse in Fame in the 80's! In 24, he was Gael, the CTU agent in Season 3 that buggers with the skin-eating poison that ends up killing him.

Lukas Haas
Most people probably don't know who this is, but he played the little Amish kid (the witnesss) in the movie "Witness" in the 80's. A regular working actor without any big starring roles, for those that follow celeb gossip, he's probably now more known for being a member of Leonardo DiCaprio's personal entourage.

Walking the Path of Elizabeth Gilbert: 5 Highlights of Finding the Real People Behind "Eat, Pray, Love" in Bali

2009-12-02T22:53:00.000-08:00

If you’re a warm-blooded, breathing woman, chances are, you’ve read (or at least heard of) the book, “Eat, Pray, Love”. If you haven’t, this best-seller from Feb. 2006 is author Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir of her journey to recovery from a divorce, by eating her way through Italy, meditating in solitude in India, and finding healing and love in Indonesia. I don’t compare my life to Elizabeth’s, nor was I one of the mid-life-crisis groupies secretly wishing I could leave my husband and travel the world for a year. However, since my travels were taking me to Indonesia for two weeks last month, I was intrigued enough by the Balinese chapter of her journey that I decided to walk in her footsteps for a few days.

The key “real people” she meets, establishes strong relationships with, and who change her life in Bali are two main people: Wayan, the healer woman, and Ketut Liyer, the old medicine man. I’d never gone to see any kind of fortune teller or alternative medicine doctor in my life. But was curious enough to open myself up to meeting these people and giving them a chance.
It was pretty easy to find them. A simple Google search produced this page from Elizabeth Gilbert’s website (http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/faq.htm) that gave us simple directions to find Wayan and Ketut. As she said, simply asking any local or cab driver will get you to them. Here are the top 5 highlights on my meetings with them.

Their existence has not changed that much after being major characters in a best-selling book. Surprisingly, Wayan has her traditional Balinese medicine shop in a very non-descript building in the town of Ubud, where she has always been. Ketut Liyer is still sitting on his “porch” (though it’s not the type of porch us North Americans imagine) in his traditional Hindu-style compound. Both have definitely seen an influx in visitors, and I imagine will get even more after the movie version (Julia Roberts will be playing Elizabeth Gilbert), but neither had big flashy or expanded businesses as a result.
But they are charging a lot more than 25¢. Each of them charged us $25 for our services, and in a country where the average daily wage seems to be $5, they’re not doing too badly either.
Wayan’s palm & body reading were more accurate than Ketut’s. I went into both experiences with sceptical curiosity – some hopes of being told that I’m brilliant and will be a millionaire soon, yet bracing myself for some bullsh*t response. Since we had come all the way to Ubud and found them, my husband Dave and I both jumped in and had palm/body readings with both. It’s probably no shocker than Ketut is quite old (he says he’s now 93), and therefore, I blame it on his age that he said some of the exact same things to me that he said to my husband two minutes later. Wayan, on the other hand, was bang-on with some pretty specific details of my past, so I listened to her more intently when she doled out advice on my health and hints into the future.
Wayan’s magic may be the real thing. While we were in Wayan’s shop, where people are treated simultaneously – not in privacy and not exclusively – we met a few other foreigners who had come to get her “magic” treatment. Some had heard of her from the book, and others had been referred to her by other patients. One of them was an American man in his 40s who had come to her seeking help for a damaged shoulder. After a 30 minute Balinese treatment by Wayan and her assistants, he was in shock. He exclaimed to us that he had seen numerous chiropractors, massage therapists, and physiotherapists in the US, and still had constant pain and inability to raise or rotate his shoulder for 15 years. He was incredulous that one treatment would “heal” him. He went on to say that he would listen to anything Wayan told him to do, including taking herbs she recommended for clearing his liver, and reconciling with “whoever he was angry with for the past several years because it was causing physical damage to his liver”. (He did say that that would be harder than getting the shoulder treatment since that would mean probably apologizing to his ex-wife).
They were both anticipating the filming of the Balinese segment of the movie with Julia Roberts. We literally missed the cast and crew of “Eat, Pray, Love” arriving in Ubud by a few days! Wayan was already anticipating them coming, posting a picture of Julia Roberts right below Elizabeth Gilbert’s picture on her wall. Surprisingly, though the producers had already paid them a visit to explain what was happening and to let them know that actors would be playing them, neither of them knew much more detail than that. I would only hope that Julia Roberts would take the time to visit them like we did and experience traditional Balinese readings, healings, and treatments to truly walk in the steps of Elizabeth Gilbert.

Would I recommend visiting them? Absolutely. If you’re going to be in Indonesia, visiting Ubud is a must and seeing Wayan and Ketut will take one day out of your trip. For less money than a spa treatment in Vancouver, you can experience traditional Balinese healing and judge for yourself how much of your body reading to believe.

5 Lessons in Comparing Office Cultures

2009-11-23T23:28:00.000-08:00

Having just changed companies (from Maximizer Software to ActiveState), and now getting used to the culture at the new office, here are five specific ways in which the two companies are different.

1. Political Hierarchy
Keep in mind Maximizer has 100 people in Vancouver, and another 75 in international offices (UK, Australia, South Africa, and Hong Kong), while ActiveState has less than 30 people in Vancouver only. That said, Maximizer is no Microsoft or Oracle. But the flatness of the ActiveState culture at first caught me off guard. At Maximizer, as a member of the senior executive team, I mostly socialized and collaborated with the other senior executives, and those that were one level under me (directors and managers). I rarely spoke with staff level (unless they were in marketing), and the staff in sales and support (the largest groups) would never speak to me at company social functions. In fact, most of them never came into my office, and if they did, they acted very nervous. ActiveState is entirely different in that everyone is more on equal ground and anyone can go into the president's office even.

2. Gay Office Managers make for Fun Times
At ActiveState, our gay office manager/receptionist/accounting & customer service assistant provides a core element of our open, fun, friendly, and humorous workplace. He jokes around with everyone, from the marketing staff up to the president in the same tone. At my old company, a gay office manager certainly would not have fit into the culture.

3. Perks are Good
Maximizer was getting to the point, and with the economy and all, where we were pulling away things like food and snacks for staff (though we did still have massages). At ActiveState, I was pleasantly surprised with fully stocked kitchen with fresh fruit, tons of snacks, breakfast, and lunch options. Then, I learned that there was staff yoga/pilates three times a week that the company subsidized! This feels like the tech boom of 1999 or a video game company, and I'm liking these perks.

4. People Invite Each Other to Parties
At Maximizer, in all my years there, I don't recall ever being invited to a house party that a staffer was having. In one month, I've already been invited to three. Very surprising and different coming from my old world, but seems to be the norm here.

5. Operations need to be Streamlined for Growth
ActiveState, having grown up in the open source space, and being a smaller company, has some streamlining to benefit from in operations and IT. Even before I started, and they asked me what type of software (OS, apps, etc) I wanted on my laptop, I was surprised. And I was allowed to bring in my new BlackBerry, while others were using iPhones or other mobile platforms. Choice is good, but I definitely wasn't used to the ad-hoc nature of IT operations.

5 Things NOT to Say to Make a Kid Cry

2009-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and haven't had much exposure to children, yet are now thrust in the midst of your mid-30s friends' kids, here are 5 things NOT to say to their kids. Trust me - toddlers don't have the same sense of humor as us and don't think sarcasm is funny. At all. In fact, you may scare them shitless if you say these things, which I quickly learned after my attempts to make them laugh, backfired and made them cry.

1. "Your mom has asked me to drive you to Kelowna."

Saying this as you jump into the drivers seat of a mini-van that has 3 children strapped into carseats in the back may elicit a 3-year old to burst into tears. Then, his older brother MAY say something to you like "you don't know much about kids, do you".

2. "When you were a baby, your older brother vaccuumed you up and you got stuck inside a vaccuum cleaner."

You'd think that I'd learn from the incident above, but no. A year later, I said this to the same kid. Of course there were no giggles, but rather a pout/frown and beginnings of a "waaah" type sound. I quickly retracted my statement and told him I was just joking, which was followed by "that's not funneeeee!!"

3. "A bear's going to smell the honey and PB on your face and come and lick it off."

Again, kids don't understand sarcasm, and this elicited a facial expression which seemed like a combination of fear of big bears and confusion that perhaps I was referring to Winnie the Pooh... followed by "Bear coming?"

4. "I don't care what your parents let you do, you have to go to bed now."
Trying to be their parent and lay down your own rules when you're just baby-sitting for the night does not work. I tried to play "bad cop" and my husband ended up having to play "good cop" while this toddler cried herself to sleep. I was never asked to babysit her again.

OK, so I only have 4 again this time. Probably a good thing, and will try to NOT make more small children cry.

5 Things that Make New Orleans Unique

2009-07-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows to go to New Orleans for Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, post-Hurricane Katrina support, etc... And I've always suspected that New Orleans would be a culturally unique experience from any other American city. In my few days here this week in NOLA (which I learned stands for New Orleans, Louisiana!), I've already discovered evidence of unique things to experience.

1. Alligator Fritters & Turtle Soup
No joke, they actually eat that here. I ate a gator fritter last night; haven't tried turtle soup yet, but my colleague did. Not as freaky as you think - and yes, tastes like chicken.

2. Current culture & language reflects French history
The only place in America that isn't so, well, America. They actually use the Fleur-de-Lis as their symbol here - not just in Quebec! And they still teach French in some schools, not Spanish.

3. Mugginess
The only place I've ever been where you step outside, it's so muggy that your eye glasses steam up immediately. So muggy that Bikram's could hold his yoga classes here outside.

4. Jazz
Their airport is named after the legendary jazz musician. What other city names their airport after a musician? And you can see why when you walk down Bourbon Street and hear sounds of traditional and modern jazz from several hole-in-the-wall clubs/bars. Very unique - love it!

5. Deep fried everything - and they got grits!
Not just fish and chicken, but beans, artichokes, alligators, mushrooms. It was so difficult to find non-deep-fried food at the party last night that I cheered when we found raw carrot sticks at one of the tables. And for northerners - you can try grits in New Orleans, served even at fancy restaurants!

Top 5 Handy Apps on my BlackBerry

2009-06-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

With all the buzz a few months ago about BlackBerry Apps, I downloaded lots of different apps to try. With the buzz faded, here are the ones that I actually kept on my BlackBerry and still use to manage my life, and when they come in handy.

1. WorldMate Live
As a traveller, I can't live without WorldMate now. It takes e-tickets one step further so you don't have to print out your email confirmations. Instead, you track all your flights, hotels and rental cars in WorldMate Live, sorting it by trip. You can even book hotels through the app - which gives you great deals since it's connected with Hotels.com.

Handy for those times when US Customs is suspicious of your constant entering their country, and they ask for proof of my return trip. Tell them you don't have a printed ticket, and instead, show them your flight in WorldMate app on BlackBerry! Very cool.

You can get this one in BlackBerry App World or http://www.worldmate.com/.

2. Shazam
Finally, the must-have app for iPhone fans is available on BlackBerry! And it's as cool as people say. This is the app that "listens" to whatever tune is playing on the radio or at a bar, and tells you the song and artist! Very handy when you're thinking - "I love this song, who sings it?" and don't want to ask your friends because it's probably Kelly Clarkson and you'd be embarrassed, but you still want to download it and rock out to it whenever you want, and not have to wait for the next time you hear it on the radio.

This one is available through BlackBerry App World.

3. Facebook
For Facebookers, this is great for those times when you're waiting around for something or someone with nothing to do or read. I pull out my BlackBerry and Face-stalk the latest status updates from my friends, and update it with useless information on what I'm doing while waiting for a flight, a green light, or a ferry. Handy for those times when you want to brag about the cool things you're doing when you're not at your computer.

This one is available through BlackBerry App World.

4. Yap with MyCaption
At my company, we're testing various voice-to-text apps for mobile devices. Handy for those times when you need to say something long (like a long email or a long meeting follow-up note for your mobile CRM), and it's too much to type (whether you have fat thumbs or regular thumbs - sometimes, you just don't have the patience to type out more than a few words on a BlackBerry).

For testing, we downloaded various apps and the best one turned out to be Yap with MyCaption. Yap on it's own is OK, but had troubles with punctuation (creating big run-on sentences in the text version of what you said). But MyCaption (powered by Yap) was better, as it has some humans to help with the technology (probably some humans in a big call center in India listening to your messages and fixing the errors that the technology makes). It still thought that "Murray" was "Marie" (prompting all those CC'd on my message to Murray to start calling him Marie in the office) - but converted a 2-minute message into a pretty accurate email.

You can get a trial for this one at http://www.mycaption.com/.

5. Maximizer Mobile CRM
Of course I can't write a blog posting about BlackBerry apps without mentioning the app that pays my paycheque, Maximizer Mobile CRM. Handy when I'm on a business trip, I can see updated info on the customers and partners I'm about to meet, including the past emails, letters, phone calls I've had with them. So now I can be lazy and not print out all their files and info beforehand - I just look it up in the morning on my BlackBerry. It helps me remember important details from past conversations, and record details of the meetings I'm having, so I can remember them easily in the future.

More info at www.maximizer.com/mobilecrm.

The 5 Guys You Meet at Tech Conferences like WES

2009-05-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

On my return from Research in Motion/BlackBerry’s annual Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES), I reflected on the type of people you meet there. Firstly, like most technology conferences, it’s dominated with men. I’d say 90% at this one. ALL of my BD (business development) meetings were with men, and the only women around seemed to be the ones in the booths. So here are the types of guys at WES this year. (PS – since this blog posting is about tech, it’s likely going to have a bunch of nerdy acronyms, so will define them as I go along).

1. Young guys there to party.
At a tech conference, these guys are the minority. This is not the real estate industry. At WES, these guys hardly go to any conference sessions, and instead, spend 4 days poolside in Orlando drinking, 4 nights partying and trying to meet the 10% women at the conference (or other more “friendly” women in the city). At WES, I think most of these guys are the customers, usually not partners like us who need to put on a more serious game face. This year, some of these type of guys actually built a BlackBerry party-organizing app called “WES After Dark” to post info on where they were going to be partying, encourage others to spread the word and come out partying. I would’ve gone to one of the parties, if it wasn’t for them posting pictures from the first night at Hooter’s and other party pics that made me realize that hanging out with these guys may be a CLM (career-limiting move)! Considering it’s a recession, these guys were drinking on their expense accounts like it was 1999 – I guess mobility is the exception to the recession!

2. Tech Entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley there to pitch their product.
Aggressive entrepreneurs with lots of mojo that walk around pushing their product on anyone that they think is influential. Usually Silicon Valley or NY types that think they have the next killer app, want to partner with RIM or get bought by RIM. One of these types hi-jacked a meeting I was in with a RIM/carrier alliance person (yes, influential). He name dropped like crazy about where he used to be an exec and whose on his board of directors, yet he didn’t have business cards on him (odd!). I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one that didn’t really understand the business value of his app…

3. Tech nerds there to learn.
This is the majority of the guys at WES… serious nerds there to get their BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) certification, and start clapping when Mike Lazaridis (RIM co-CEO) announces some small new feature, and Mike Kirkup (RIM Dev Relations Manager) says that they’re going to start publicly tracking technical issues. These guys actually attend all the technical sessions, and get excited about being in the hands-on labs all day. These are also the guys that stand around at the parties by themselves, checking the status of their servers on their BlackBerry’s, and staring at the 10% of girls that walk by as if they haven’t seen one of us in 5 years.

4. Nerds and old guys that party once a year at WES.
These guys are hilarious because unlike Type #3, they’re nerds and old guys that aren’t shy. They think they’re like Type #1, but they’re clearly not. When they’re sober, they’re geeking out on their BlackBerry’s, and after a few drinks, they jump onto stage when will.i.am is rapping and DJ’ing and think they can break dance or balance drinks on their head. The old guys are standing near the front of the stage like it was a Grateful Dead concert, yet probably have no idea who will.i.am is. They’re just excited to be at a concert and not at home with their wives and kids.

5. Guys there to do bi’ness.
These are most of the guys that I personally met with. BD and Sales types within RIM, software/hardware partners, and carrier guys that cram in as many face-to-face meetings as possible during the week to build relationships and progress deals. Whether they’re from start-ups or huge carriers, everyone wants to capitalize on the huge BlackBerry market where there’s big opportunity and a piece of the pie for many players. We’re pretty new to the mobility and carrier game, but I’m quickly realizing that this is a club based on relationships and credibility. And the more the right people vouch for you, the easier it will be to do business with others.

5 Lessons from my NoCal (San Fran/Big Sur) Trip this Weekend

2009-04-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of enjoying a varied long weekend in northern California this past 4 days. Varied in that it ranged from city touring in San Francisco from to trekking through remote areas of the Big Sur coast. Here are 4 things I learned this weekend (sorry, couldn’t pull off a 5th one), and some photos:

1. We are but a dot in time and space.

There’s nothing like a weekend in a place like Big Sur to make you feel insignificant. Not in a bad way. But in a way that makes you feel like a part of a much larger world than the one in which you normally live your life. The physical beauty and presence of the Big Sur coastline remind you that the Earth is vast and powerful, and has been around a lot longer than us humans. The history of Big Sur with its early pioneers and settlers who loved its beauty, remind you that there were once brave and hard-working explorers that had a much greater appreciation of the earth and a greater sense of adventure than we typically have on an average day, week, or month. The current people of Big Sur still maintain that sense of appreciation and peace with the earth. Being in this tranquil and beautiful place was a great rejuvenator and reminder of our place as humans in time and on the planet.

2. We really SHOULD work out to “Train for Life”.

My personal trainer, Josh Neumann, says that you should work out not to train for a specific event like a triathlon or marathon, but to “train for life”. As I’m doing squats and lunges, and 5km runs around Trout Lake, I don’t particularly think that life is going to present me with the NEED to squat and lunge and run 5km. This weekend, I learned that there ARE situations where this training will come in handy when you are FORCED to run 5km!

On Saturday, my husband Dave accidentally locked the keys to our rental car in the trunk when we were at a beach 2 miles down a “secret” road. And 2 miles from cell phone reception! After we realized this, a nice lady drove me up to the ranger station about 2.2 miles from our car. Where, I was able to make phone calls and it took me about 45 minutes to sort out with Hertz to send a locksmith to us – but Big Sur being so remote, it would take the guy almost 2 hours to get to us from Monterey! $275 later, I realized I had no choice (breaking the window was not an option, I learned, since the brand new Toyota Camry would automatically disable the trunk lever once it was broken into!). In the mean time, Dave was over 2 miles away, with no cell phone reception. And knowing Dave, he would FREAK out if he didn’t hear from me or see me 3 hours after leaving with the nice lady in her car. So, with my big bulky camera over my shoulder and wallet and BlackBerry in hand, I started jogging the 2.2 miles. And this was after doing a 3.2 mile hike earlier that day. I had to run – not walk – because I had to make it there in sufficient time of finding Dave (in case he decided to go down to the beach and I couldn’t find him right away), and in enough time so that I (or we) could jog or walk back to the ranger station where the locksmith was meeting us (he couldn’t meet us down at the beach since it was down an unmarked road that he probably wouldn’t be able to find). So I did the jog and after finding Dave, we did a fast-walk back up the 2.2 mile hill to the ranger station. So yes, I now believe that life may present you with situations in which it pays off to have been “training for life”. I thought of this and smiled as I ran the 2.2 miles…

3. A new word to my vocabulary: Massholes

“Massholes” = “Assholes from Boston/Mass like Ben Affleck with those stupid accents”. As described by some Denver guys we met at a wine party in San Francisco.

And we put this to use on Sunday at the airport when some obnoxious fans were loudly cheering for the Boston Redsox (game on TV): "What a bunch of loud Massholes". Love it!

4. Rundown mobile home cabins in Big Sur cost more than hotel rooms at the Ritz Carleton

We contemplated why our mobile home “cabin” in Big Sur with faux wood walls and bedsheets circa 1970 cost more than our hotel room at the Ritz in San Francisco. Some reasons:

a. Big Sur is the most beautiful place in North Americas so someone is cashing in and making a killing.
b. Usable land is scarce in Big Sur, so land costs are expensive.
c. Big Sur is so remote that it costs a lot to get supplies in to serve tourists.
d. Tourists only come to Big Sur during certain months, so they have to charge a lot during the high months to make up for the low months.

Either way, if you are going to Big Sur, be prepared to book ahead of time and don’t expect it to be too cheap. Even the places that are “campground and cabins” aren’t cheap. But, Big Sur is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Top 5 Takeaways from Sierra Wireless & Absolute Software

2009-04-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

This week, I attended a BCTIA Impact event, a monthly speaker series highlighting winners of last year's Impact awards given to the brightest stars in BC's tech industry. The two speakers were Greg Speakman, VP Marketing at Sierra Wireless, and John Livingston, President of Absolute Software. Here are the top takeaways I took from this event!

1. Make your offering a "need to have" rather than a "nice to have". (John Livingston)
I couldn't agree more - especially in this economy. From my personal experience - when the tech bubble burst in 2001 I was working at a video-over-IP company called Eyeball Networks. The reason I left is because I realized that in the economy at that time - companies were only buying "need to have's", and cutting out all "nice to have's". Video-over-IP wasn't considered one of those "need to have's".

2. When in doubt, just act. (John Livingston)
The culture he has created at Absolute is under the belief that you can sit around and discuss theories and strategies, but at the end of the day - action needs to be taken to get results. So he encourages people to just act! Sometimes, I call this "ask for forgiveness, not permission" in my career.

3. Listen to your partners - especially the ones that are where you want to be. (Greg Speakman)
Both companies have created extremely successful strategic alliances with large companies as part of their go-to-market strategy. Absolute with laptop manufacturers (Dell, HP, etc.) and Sierra Wireless with telco carriers (AT&T, Telstra, etc.). They stressed the importance of listening to your current customers (duh), but also of listening to these types of partners who may be closer to your target new customers. And revise your product and strategy if required.

4. Hire people who have worked at your target alliance partners.
To successfully create alliances with large, complex organizations (like laptop manufacturers and telco carriers) - both of them said that their secret to doing this successfully was by hiring people who used to work at these organizations. In some situations, they even did it after they had established relationships with the partner company (with permission). They know the culture, can navigate the complexities of the organizations to identify the influencers and decision-makers.

In my job, since I've started to work with telco carriers (on our mobile CRM product), this was the key question I wanted to ask. And though we aren't yet ready to hire people from these telcos, I'm doing the next best thing by hiring a wireless telco consultant that is ex-Bell/Telus/Rogers. Thanks for the great advice!

5. Beware of service providers and job-seekers at networking events
I periodically go to BCTIA events, but never before had I been to one where there were more lawyers, bankers, and unemployed people than actual tech industry people! That took me by surprise a little. But I guess this is a sign of the economy where more than the usual # of people are looking for business and jobs!

Top 5 Ways to Channel Jack Bauer at the Office

2009-04-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

For anyone that watches 24, we know that Jack Bauer knows how to get sh*t done. If everyone just listened to him, the day would be over in 12 hours, not 24. So I started thinking that some of his way of getting stuff done can be transferred into the office.

1. Be bold to get results, even if it means using a hack-saw to saw someone's head off in a federal office.
As Jack said in Day 2, "That's the problem with people like you, George. You want results, but you never want to get your hands dirty." Sometimes you have to do things yourself, and you have to do the things that other people don't want to do.

2. Break the rules when you really need to, but play by the rules when it makes sense.
So far (I've only watched Day 1, 2, 3), after all the people that Jack has killed and internal protocols he has broken, he has somehow eluded jail. This is because after he breaks the rules, he then plays by their rules. He breaks the rules when it really matters in achieving the end goal, and then succumbs to the rules afterwards. On Day 3, he comes clean with his heroin use and leaves the decision to the higher ups.... seemingly ready to face whatever penalty they will give him. It gives the higher ups the sense that they still have control over Jack, even though Jack will continue to play by his rules when it really matters.

In business, sometimes you may need to break away from "how it has always been done" and break the tradition to get results. Easier done in a smaller, entrepreneurial company. Other times it makes sense to follow the corporate culture to get things done - particularly if you work for a bigger company or a Japanese company, as I have. Know when to use which tactic.

3. Use a commanding voice - people may not like it, but it gets results.
As Chloe said to Jack on Day 3, "I'm working on it Jack, but your tone of voice isn't exactly a morale booster." But in the end, Chloe gets it done. None of my staff have ever said that to me, but it would be funny if they did.

4. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.
Even if you have to decieve the President of the United States, if you really believe in what you are doing and there's no way around it.

Similar to #2 above - sometimes you need to act quickly and it's better to go with what you believe is the right decision to achieve a goal. And if someone questions you later - explain the rationale for your decision and ask for permission for breaking protocol if you need to.

5. Know who to trust on your team.
Hire family members (your daughter), and never sleep with co-workers - they may be working for terrorists.

In reality, you have to rely on people on your team and across other departments. Bring in those that share your goals and who you know you can rely on to get sh*t done.

Top 5 Ways I'm Making Up for Flying Too Much

2009-04-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, I bragged to my friend that I drove my car less than 6,000 km in the last year. Much less than the 20,000 km/year that the average person drives. Urban living = lower carbon footprint, I thought! However, she was quick to burst my bubble and point out that all my flying (usually once a month) creates a much larger ecological footprint than the driving that I'm saving. So here are some small things my husband and I are doing to counter or at least reduce my damage (and this doesn't include recycling, as that should be a given for all).

1. Stopped buying paper napkins & paper towels
Instead of paper napkins, a long time ago, we started using fabric. Not only for eating at home, but we now pack our fabric napkins with our lunch to bring to work. And no more paper towels. Instead, we use these 3M cloths for wiping stuff. Yes, there are situations where you often want a paper towel; but if you just stop buying them, you will find an alternative with cloths. (Apologies to my friend Marc, long-time Kimberly-Clark staffer who's made his living selling paper-based products. Good news is though, Marc, we all still need toilet paper.)

2. Installed timer-based thermostats

My friend Greg recently showed me his new Ecobee system which allows you to monitor your energy consumption and change your home's temperature settings via the web or iPhone. Though we haven't signed up for that yet, we're using Honeywell thermostats that are on a timer to turn down heat (room by room) at night and when we're not home. They're $39.99 at Home Depot and super easy to install.

3. Reduced use of kitchen garbage bags

Instead of lining your kitchen garbage bin every week with a plastic bag, we bought a bin with a removeable bucket.

4. Use an eco-friendly Washer-Dryer combo unit
In our new "compact" condo, we chose a washer-dryer combo unit. One unit that replaces the traditional stackable washer/dryer that saves space for us urban dwellers that squeeze into less than 1,000 square feet. Moreover, it uses less energy and less water. I think this is the one we have >>. The downside is that the dryer mode makes our clothes smell like someone just took a hairdryer to it for an hour... but we're getting used to it!

5. Compost

Admittedly, we've procrastinated on this one. But we've recently been re-inspired by our friends Greg & Michelle to get off our butt and get moving on this. So I've left my husband in charge of getting one from the City of Vancouver and registering us for a workshop on how to use these. Keeping our fingers crossed that it doesn't stink and get us in trouble with our nazi strata!

Top 5 Areas the Recession Has Hit My Friends

2009-03-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

Some Vancouverites definitely live in a bubble sheltered away from the recession. Hence the sold out $85/person wine festival last weekend. How are all these people so confidently drinking away their money? I guess in good times, people drink; in bad times, people drink. But despite Vancouverites living in a bubble and personally only knowing 1 person that was laid off in my social circle, the recession has hit some of my friends in other ways. OK, there are 6 this time!

Friend #1: High school teacher in North Vancouver
Who would've thought recessions hit the public education sector. This friend claims that his public school is getting ready to take in the predicted onslaught of students whose families can no longer afford private school! This, combined with the fact that young families can no longer afford housing on the north shore, has meant a gradual decline in students there over the last few years. Fewer students = no need for that many high schools = high school closure = teacher layoff. So his high school is putting on recruitment drives with open houses for the posh kids who will be slummin' it with the public school kids on the north shore. PS - teachers in Surrey are safe, where enrollment is on the up and up!

Friend #2: Nurse in Toronto
Another surprise here! Who would think the recession would hit the health sector? My friend that recently moved from Calgary to Toronto is on the job hunt and claims that it's not as easy as everyone says. Recession-proof is what people like me would think! But she says no, that hospitals may not be laying off staff, but they're cutting back hours and hiring from within. So she doesn't expect to find work for a couple of months!

Friend #3: VP at big financial services firm in Toronto
This friend was the smartest finance major at UBC back in my graduating class. He worked in Vancouver for several years, and then went off to make bigger bucks in Toronto. At the height of the stock market rise. Within months, he was the type A, big swingin' dick flashing his money to anyone who would take it to kiss his feet. Got to be uncomfortable for us regular people. When I saw him recently in Toronto, he was "back to normal", humbled by the recession and the general awareness that he could be fired at any time. And thankfully back to a mindset where he's more appreciative of what he does have.

Friend #4: Former hedge fund guy
This New York City based friend has not been working since end of October. And doesn't expect to work for several more months. When I was in NY with him a few weeks ago, he had food in his fridge for the first time in years, and was talking about downgrading his gym membership.... hmmm, perhaps you should look at your $3500/month rent first?

Friend #5: Husband in wine sales
Like I said about the wine festival, when times are good people drink. When times are tough, people drink. Difference is, now people are drinking cheaper wines. And how perfect for him and his company that focuses on value brands! At least one of us is in a truly recession-proof industry (which not many of us can say!).

Friends #6: Girls who got great shoe bargains at Barney's Warehouse sale
For my friends who are NOT effected by the recession, they can now afford to buy the Christian Laboutin and Manolo Blahnik's that were 75% off at the Barney's warehouse sale. Stock up girls, as this is a once in a lifetime chancge to own a pair of $1000 shoes for $250!

Friend #7: Former Recruiter
One of my friends took a job in 2008 as a recruiter/headhunter. She left a great job in field sales to do this and was loving it. With companies doing more lay-offs than hiring these days, her firm wasn't seeing that much action. She's now out of work and ironically - looking for a job, sitting on the other side of recruiters' desks!

Friend #8: Cop
Last night, I had dinner with a friend who's a cop, and who's husband is a cop. Extremely recession-proof jobs. In fact, when more people are out of work, there's more crime. So much more that in the month of February, she worked double the # of hours she normally would in a month. And of course she gets paid overtime for it (unlike us in the software industry that are expected to work overtime for no more money). So now, she's bought herself a BMW. I guess when times are tough for some, times are good for others!

Top 5 Wines at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

2009-03-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to try to pass myself off as some sort of wine guru, because I'm probably the farthest thing from it. Somewhat to my husband's chagrin since he is in the wine industry, and developing quite a palate for wines. I believe in just drinking what you like, no matter what anyone else says or what the price point dictates. So I went to the Barefoot Wines Party and the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival last night.... and here are my Top 5 choices (not in rank order, just in order that I drank them!). You can clearly see that I lean towards sweet, not heavy!

1. Barefoot Bubbly: White Zinfandel
Fun color - pink! Great bubbly for women who need to no excuse to celebrate. It's sweeeeeet!

2. Pierre Sparr Gewurtz
Smells sweet when you take a sniff, but it doesn't taste as sweet as it looks. Still, a lovely lovely wine. I have no idea what this French website says, but it came up on my Google search for this wine.

3. Sokol Blosser Evolution
Interesting wine.... a blend of 9 grape varietals they say!

4. Caymus: Conundrum
This was one fresh, but still had nice depth.

5. Prospect: Vidal Ice Wine
My wine list wouldn't be complete without an ice wine! I tried a few (that I already knew) and settled on this as my fave for the festival. It's not as syrupy as some ice wines... a good level of sweetness. And a better price point than some more expensive ones too - $39.

Top 5 Things I Like in Toronto This Week

2009-03-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

Couple days of personal, couple days of business in Toronto - I discover the east coast side of my personality yet again. Here are reasons I'm liking Toronto!

1. Bigger Everything, Urban Center

There's something about bigger buildings, bigger business, bigger opportunity. It definitely feels like you're closer to the center of action (at least for Canada). Or perhaps I only appreciate this because it's opposite of my regular west coast life. A difference in size creates a subtle difference in culture that you crave to experience and be a part of. Bigger is not necessarily better always, but it's better this week!

2. Friends: Brains, Laughs, and Looks

Got to hang out with Vancouver and C-Town boys in Toronto on Saturday night. Dinner at Vidara, then onto drinks at Adelaide Street Pub. Here, Debb and I are hanging out with The Brains, The Laughs, and The Looks.

3. Queen and King Street West

Saturday night, Sunday day, and Monday night - dinner, drinks,

brunches and strolling down the urban streets of Toronto. Less polished than Robson, more of walking neighborhood than Main, less west coast sporty than Kits, cleaner than Gastown, cheaper than Yaletown. That's the run down of Queen and King Street for an urban girl's ideal shopping and dining!

4. Great meetings!

Along with bigger everything came some great meetings on Monday and Tuesday. Met with partners and potential new partners ranging from channel partners to mobile carriers to mobile device makers. For some of these opportunities, more goes down in Toronto, making flying all the way there worthwhile.

5. Workouts
Surprise! I actually worked out 2 times on this trip away. My PT Josh Neumann would be impressed. Usually, it's a stretch for me to workout once on a trip. This time, I was hauled there by Marc and Debb - thanks guys!

Top 5 Reasons you Know you Travel Too Much

2009-03-14T17:39:00.001-07:00

I'm now home from a week's travel, where I went to New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee. I realized I travel alot - mostly for work, and luckily my work takes me to decent cities. How do I know I travel more than the average person? Well - here are the Top 5 reasons:

1. I know my passport # by heart
I've filled out my share of the US Customs forms

2. I feel at home at the United Red Carpet Lounge in Chicago O'Hare
I now hate sitting in regular waiting areas in those seats that have bars in between so you can't sleep. Too many loud annoying people. Trying to find an electrical outlet in which to plug my laptop, only to find that they are against the wall with no seats, so you end up sitting on the floor. And paying for drinks and snacks at the airport is unnecessary when you can get it all free in the comfort and serenity of the lounge!

3. I get EXTREMELY annoyed when travellers don't know what the hell they are doing through airport security
We all have to do it, and it's the same routine in every airport, so I wish people would just quickly proceed, remove their laptop, throw out their water, and move on.

The worst was one time at Toronto Pearson where the teenage girls in front of me were trying to negotiate with the security dude to let them bring through 4 bottles of water. There is no negotiation at airport security. NONE. Putting on a cute voice and tilting your head to the side will NOT make the security dude change his mind. This is not the VIP line up of a club we're talking about. Airport security, girls - ever heard of 9/11? The shoe bomber? As I stood there boring holes through their head with my eyes, I was contemplating whether to kick the girl in the ass to kick her through the metal detector, or pick her up and shove her through the bag screener. These are the rules girls, just follow them and everyone will be safe!

4. I have a collection of the best hotel bathrooms
It's easy to rate hotels by the quality of the bathrooms in the rooms. I don't always remember to take photos of them, but will soon post the Top 5 hotel bathrooms. The Hyatt Regency in Schaumberg, IL where I was for a few days this week had recently done an entire renovation and you could tell - beautiful bathroom counters and tiles!

5. My friend Dom moved to NYC about 18 months ago and I've seen him there 5 times
Yes, I do love New York, so whether it's personal, business, or study - I love hanging out there. All the better with friends that live there. And friends that have big apartments there. :)

Top 5 Celebrities on Twitter

2009-03-13T13:59:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty new to Twitter but have been playing around with it recently. I figure I need to keep up with the online social trends - got Facebook, got Linkedin, got Blog - now, got Twitter. I'm at www.twitter.com/angiehirata. I have a few friends on there, but the most active people on Twitter seem to be celebrities or media people. Anderson Cooper (or his assistant) puts links on there ever 3 minutes. Not very interesting. What's funny is the celebrities that are on there updating what they are doing or thinking every hour, giving us intimate insight into their personal lives. Makes you realize how normal they are. And what a strange feeling to see P. Diddy's new sneakers, or hear about Ashton Kutcher's martial arts classes. If you're ready to be bombarded with minute-by-minute updates from your friends, celebs and other randoms, join Twitter and add these celebs to your "Follow" list - just to check out this bizarre phenomenon:

1. Ashton Kutcher: http://twitter.com/aplusk

This guy is addicted. Or he has an active personal assistant that just follows him around and updates everyone on his thoughts and his activities. From jogging on the beach today where he commented on the paparazzi's shots of him, to getting ready for Demi's private Oscar party, to commenting on his step-daughters shopping. Is this for real? I actually think he might be really doing this one.

2. P. Diddy: http://twitter.com/iamdiddy

Top of the list for most annoying celebrity Twitter person I've come across. I may remove him because his Tweets show how much of a self-centered jackass he is (check out his Twitter home page screenshot to the right - a little narcissistic, no?) and his over-use of multiple punctuation!!!!!! (annoying!). But first want to send him a personal Tweet asking if he thinks Rihanna should get back together with Chris Brown!

Anyways, he posts pics of his ugly-ass sneakers, tells people about his upcoming audition for a movie that Ashton is backing, writes self-motivating tweets! Yesterday's tweet: "see even I have to fight for my dreams. Ashton is my friend but I still have to audition . I will fight. I will win. I will succeed!!!" I'm not kidding - that's a direct copy and paste.

3. Kevin Smith: http://twitter.com/ThatKevinSmith

Not that active, but of course, really funny and witty. I wish he'd post more often so he can drown out the annoying voices of P. Diddy on Twitter. He has posted about Jason Mosier ("Jay" from Jay and Silent Bob), Wayne Gretzky, and his daughter's lack of softball skills.

4. Britney Spears: http://twitter.com/britneyspears

This one is a mix of personal stuff and self-promotion stuff posted by her assistants/managers. Not particularly a fan of her, but it's interesting to see some down-to-earth comments and insight into her life. Beyond what the paparazzi is saying about her, I'm actually happy for this girl that she can actually self-promote where she can control the message. And tell the world random things like the fact that she got take-out and went home to watch Pride & Glory. Weird.

5. Demi Moore: www.twitter.com/mrskutcher

OK, this one is probably not real. I think her PA is tasked with updating. She's not as funny as Ashton and kinda lame. And some of her playing off of what Ashton was tweeting about is a little pathetic. I did learn today that she bought a Kindle. Don't know what that is? Don't worry, a few days ago I didn't either... until I saw a dude on one of my flights this week with one, saw Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com founder) interviewed about it, and then bought a present on Amazon.com and saw it promoted on the home page. Suddenly, it's everywhere. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00154JDAI

Know of other celebs on Twitter? Let me know!

top 5 Things a Cop from Appleton, WI said to me in a 5-Minute Conversation

2009-03-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

This morning, in a crowded hotel breakfast buffet in Milwaukee, I sat down to enjoy my morning yogurt with a guy at a table. Turns out he was a cop from Appleton, Wisconsin that showed me that stereotypes ARE based on some truth! Where's Appleton and what are the stereotypes you ask? Doesn't matter where Appleton is, I'm just saying it's small town mid-west USA!

1. "This is a nice hotel"

I'm talking Brookfield Suites, not even in Milwaukee, but in Brookfield, Wisconsin. This is not the usual caliber of hotels I stay at in big cities. In Brookfield, I thought I was in a timewarp, circa 1986 with pink walls, green doors, cream trim, and way too much tropical floral.

2. "I've never been out to the west coast before"

This is not a child I'm speaking with. This is a man in his 40s. Never been out there? You don't even need a passport to go there, don't need to cross a body of water, and you haven't been there? Hopefully, he's left Wisconsin. But then, I did meet a person a few years ago that came to Vancouver, having left Arkansas for the first time in her life. Americans need to get the duece out of their state.

3. "Is it Vancouver or British Columbia that's hosting the Olympics?"

OK, I know at Expo 86's Saskatchewan Pavilion, Americans asked where the country of Saskatchewan was. But Vancouver and British Columbia - are you serious? Maybe Obama's plea for American kids to stay in school and "not give up on your country" will be extended into some more basic geography lessons for Yank kids.

4. "Wisconsin is a big drinking state"

Apparently, drinking and driving is also a big part of what they do here. I guess being the home of Miller, lots of dairy cows, and the Greenbay Packers has somehow fueled this.

5. "A guy from Wisconsin died in Vancouver last year."

Great, thanks for cheering me up at 7:45 this morning. (He was talking about the guy that died on Grouse Mountain hiking the grind at the wrong time of year).

Top 5 Highlights from MacLean’s “The End of Democracy?” Cover Story

2009-03-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

In the March 9th issue of MacLean’s, the cover article, “The End of Democracy?”, points out that autocracies are on the rise around the world, and democracy is only prevailing in North America, Western Europe, and a handful of other countries. Whereby other countries may be looking to Russia and China as “success stories” for the fact that autocracy and economic success can coincide together. So here are some interesting observations from that article.

1. “Political freedom expands during prolonged periods of prosperity and contracts during regression or stagnation.” – Benjamin Friedman, Harvard University economist

This seems to make sense that when there’s a recession, people just want someone who can get them out of the recession. They are thinking less about capitalist and selfish desires and freedom per se, and more about the basic need for surviving – getting medicine, food, the basics. Something that autocratic leaders can capitalize on to get into power.

2. “’Exporting democracy’… describes a thing that cannot be. [It] is not a product that one consumes. It is a set of values, habits, expectations, and principles… So by its nature it cannot be exported.” – James Traub, director of policy, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

Interesting. Just like you can’t have a “war on terror”, because terror is not a tangible person or thing (as my husband always says), you cannot export democracy. Traub believes that democracy cannot be forced, but it can be nurtured.

3. “…the best way Americans can spread democracy around the world is to be the best model of a working democracy that we possibly can.” – Peter Beinhart, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

This comment would be true for Canada as well. That said, wouldn’t Canada be a great representative? Our economy is doing better (for now), our healthcare system is better, our education system is better… so why did MacLean’s interview more American “experts” for this article than Canadians? If the US wants foreign autocracies to take note of a working democracy, they better get their economy, healthcare, and education system in better shape.

4. “Chinese are better off and more satisfied than ever, and value stability and security over democracy.” – Maurice Strong, former Canadian diplomat

So we are led to believe. That may be, but isn’t the stability and security false if you don’t believe you have the freedom to read what you want, think what you want, and write what you want, about your country? So they are plodding along, and some enjoy the material goods of capitalism. But can political autocracy and economic capitalism exist together?

5. “…Over time, more democratic societies seem to be more prosperous and therefore better trading partners and treaty partners.” – Thomas o. Melia, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and executive director of Freedom House

He argues that democratic countries need to promote democracy abroad, not just for the freedom of the people and to “fight terrorism”, but to have an economy. He clearly ties a strong economy to democracy.

So there are interesting and opposing views in this article. My conclusion? I believe in democracy and capitalism, but also believe in the role of government in social provisions like healthcare and education (yes, truly Canadian, aren’t I?). So I’m still skeptical of how autocracy and a strong economy can exist together. But perhaps I’m being naïve and China will show the world how this is done…

Top 5 Highlights of my Weekend in New York

2009-03-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

I just had a chill weekend in NY and for the first time in my life - did NOT shop there! The only things I bought were "necessities" - a bluetooth earpiece for my BlackBerry, and a copy of "Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. No shoes, no bags, no make-up, no clothes. A difficult challenge that I survived. And being on a budget, I strolled around and enjoyed cheap eats. Here are my highlights:

1. Dangerfield's Comedy Club (Upper East on 1st Ave. at 61st St.)
This was our biggest night out, and it wasn't cheap (with mandatory drink minimums and forced tipping), but worth the price. There was a great line-up of stand-up comedians that were all great. No amateurs, no bombs. All professionals with crowd experience. If you don't want to be made an ass of - do NOT sit in the front. The annoying LA valley girl in the front got slammed for her Paris-Hilton-esque annoying as hell voice. The only annoying thing was that each act that came up all asked the same thing to the people in the first few rows - "where are you from?". Some should remove this from their act, because hearing "LA", "Tallahassee", "Boston" - over and over and over from the 3 groups in the front is a little annoying. If you want to head there, print off the 2-for-1 coupons from here.

2. Taim Falafels in the West Village

My friend Dominic has taken a liking to cooking shows on the Food Network (god knows why since the only thing in his kitchen was saltine crackers and tuna). One of which is Bobby Flay's Throwdown, which featured this restaurant on his show. Since he's on a mission to do more sight-seeing in his own city, we went down to the West Village to check out this 4-bar-stool little restaurant for lunch. Great falafels and salad. Fresh ingredients, freshly made falafels, hot and crispy on the outside, tasty on the inside.

3. Top of the Rock
The big tourist outting this time was the Top of the Rock, on the 68th floor of Rockefeller Center - home of NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall, the ice-skating rink. If you want spectacular views of NYC, this is a better bet than Empire State Building - since it's easier to see around (glass instead of cage). Great stop if you're on 5th Ave (it's between 49th and 50th St.), it's $20 to get to the top (no restaurants or anything up there, just the view and some souvenir shops), and you can get a $2-off coupon from the people in red jackets at the bottom of the building.

4. Observing the Recession First-Hand
Vancouverites are pretty sheltered from the US recession. When I was in New York in the fall, I felt the recession first-hand, as thousands of local people were suddenly out of jobs - having been laid off from Lehman Brothers and other fin services firms. But the hot restaurants were still full of trend-setters and money. This time, the friend that I stayed with was also not working full-time, and many of his friends were in the same boat. Consequently, the former spending crowd in New York - the ones with no kids and no committments - are cutting back and eating in, or eating cheap! It will be interesting to see in the next while, how many of those trendy restaurants and bars in New York actually survive.

5. Relaxing, relaxing, relaxing!
I actually had the time to get a mani/pedi (hmmm, maybe that wasn't in my budget), read, watch TV, and just chill out. Who would think that I would go to New York to do this, when I'm usually shopping till my feet are dropping!

Top Recent Indicidents that Indicate Canada Needs Harsher Criminal Punishment

2009-03-09T10:25:00.001-07:00

All this recent soft left-wing treatment for killers has got me thinking that it's time for Canada to take a harsher stance on people who kill. If you're endangering others, killing innocent people, killing small children - I'm less of a believer in accidental manslaughter and mental illnesses. If we think that this person may repeat the same thing again - they need to be put away, or put to the same death as their victims. So let's take these recent examples (OK, I only have 3 that are top of mind from last week):

1. Greyhound Bus De-Capitation
This guy is being sent to a mental institution. Even after saying that he should be put to death. Are you kidding me - a crazy farm? Who's going to assess whether he's good enough to be let out onto the streets again, and how accurate is that going to be? With our track record of letting people out of mental institutions early (or at all) - this guy is going to be free in no time. And I certainly don't want to be anywhere near him. Because the scariest thing about this one is that it was COMPLETELY random. It's not targeted at gangsters or prostitutes or women on the east side, or anyone - completely random innocent stranger. As far as I'm concerned, someone should saw this guy's head off.

2. Native Guy Who Accidentally Killed 2 Daughters
He gets drunks and accidentally lets his 2 daughters freeze to death and then says that he shouldn't be sent to prison because his family is better off with him, than havin him in prison. Oh, sorry, right - so you can accidentally kill more of your children. WTF? It is appalling that we put little value on these girls lives and give this guy another chance. And who the hell wants this pathetic excuse for a father around? We should leave him outside in freezing temperatures with no shoes and see how he feels.

3. Gangsters with Guns
How the hell is it that we can't charge people with machine guns in their trunks to higher penalties? And how the hell can people claim that they didn't know there were guns in the trunk of their car? Let's cut the bullshit and not let the gangsters spit all over the judicial system. There's a limit to how much "innocent until proven guilty" makes sense. When there's an all-out gang war in the city, it's time to lay down some harsher penalties and put some of these guys away.

Now I'm not all right-wing in my views on crime. My husband makes a great argument for educating on drugs like coke and heroin. Take away demand, and the supply goes away. Like he points out, it worked with drinking and driving, and smoking for those of us who grew up in the 80's. Bring a few heroin addicts from the eastside into every elementary school and scare the crap out of them to never try it. And not a recovered addict - a homeless dude who's currently addicted to it. That should do it to put a decline in hard drug use in the generation to come.

Top Reasons Why Rihanna Needs to Leave Chris Brown or Jay-Z Needs to Step In

2009-03-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

It is shocking and unbelievable to me why Rihanna is taking Chris Brown back. Media today is pointing to puppy love. And this being a trend with victims of abuse – that they go back several times. Well, I think there are many victims in this situation that Rhianna represents. Just as Barack Obama represented hope for Americans for a better country, a better economy, a better world – if Rhianna does the right thing here, she can represent hope for a better world for abuse victims and minority women. But even if she can’t do the self-less thing and think of the bigger picture that this represents, she can do the selfish thing and think about herself too. Here is my personal plea to Rihanna to do the right thing. And if she doesn’t listen, then Jay-Z knows what the right thing is, and should step in to make it happen.

1. For the Progression of Blacks in America
The US gets a black President and first family, who represents hope for all American minorities and a beacon against the “defeatist culture of black victimhood”. And just a short while later, we have the epitome of stereotypical Black ghetto culture of violence against women, getting the checkmark of approval from one of pop’s brightest stars. Not only does this shatter the hope for blacks, that their role models perpetuate the culture of putting women down; but it perpetuates the negative racial stereotypes that whites hold against blacks. Just take a look at the comments posted on gossip websites like WWTDD.com, right after this news broke, where people were laughing and making sarcastic remarks about “a black man beating up his girlfriend – that’s a first”. Obama took one giant leap forward for America, only to be put back one giant step by Rhianna.

2. For Women and Young Girls
Regardless of color, Rihanna needs to leave for the sake of other abused women and young girls that look up to her. Abused women need hope, someone to look to for strength. Young girls need to be guided in the right direction that it’s not OK to be abused by a boyfriend. She goes back, and she puts all women’s groups efforts for equality backwards by several steps with her high profile abuse case. Whether she likes it or not, she is an idol and a media sensation, and needs to hold herself to higher standards of representing women.

3. For Jay-Z’s Empire
Jay-Z hasn’t made his fortune by accident. With his smarts, he has helped bring hip-hop to mainstream listeners. With Rihanna as a member of his entourage and empire, his own image and, subsequently, profits, are on the line. Yes, he has Beyonce and others, but if he wants to keep leveraging the bank of young Rhianna, he needs to convince her to leave or step in with a heavier force.

4. For her career
So if she didn’t want to take the selfless route and do it for blacks or for women, she should at least take a look at her own career. People want to believe that pop stars are a step above the rest of us, that they are untouchable, that they have beaten the odds. That’s why we put them on a pedestal. Rihanna being beaten by her boyfriend? That’s far too close to reality for some, and not the kind of girl that (hopefully) young girls want to have pin-ups of on their bedroom walls. Just as Chris Brown’s album plummeted in the Billboard charts immediately after the beating, Rhianna’s career will plummet if she goes back to this.

5. Because he’ll do it again
OK, so if she can’t be selfless, and can’t think about her career, do it for your damn personal safety and happiness. She admitted that the beating that took place the night before the Grammy’s wasn’t the first. What makes her think it’s going to be the last? Wake up honey, you can find happiness and love where men won’t beat you, or threaten to beat you.

Top 5 Reasons I Love to Go to New York

2009-03-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

Since I'm going to New York on Saturday on a 2.5-day before heading to Chicago, thought it'd be good to remind myself of why I love it!

1. Bright lights, big city
Literally. It's the best big city in North America. Even though I hate it when local New Yorkers say that it's the center of the world, and everything happens there. It's actually kind of true. Never admit that to a New Yorker though.

2. Dining
Love the food, and love to laugh at the insane handling of reservations in that city. Last time I was there with Michelle and Nicole, they made Michelle put her Visa # down to hold our Nobu reservation. And if we didn't show, they'd charge her $25 per head. WTF? Only in NYC do they take reservations SO seriously. Thank god Vancouver isn't like that - yet! This time, not sure what I'll hit up. Jennifer from our PR agency recommended STK Steakhouse, and the website looked pretty cool, so check that out.

3. Shopping
Hello, shopping! Love the variety in all the neighborhoods - SOHO, 5th Avenue, department stores, Chinatown illegal pure-making sweatshops. This trip, I will be removing myself and my Visa from these kick-ass shopping districts! It will be painful, but will be distracting myself by attending a musical or play matinee on Sunday. Shopped out and budgeted out after LA.

4. People, People, People
Everyone does and says whatever the hell they want. Black, Asian, Hispanic, White. Rich bitches, street purse sellers, ambitious ad agency and financial types, illegal Chinese immigrants making fake purses, students, artists.... they all mingle in the same city. People are friendly and helpful. There are undercover cops keeping people safe in Central Park. There are crazy hoochie-mama bitches working in Century 21 where you think they're a character in a movie, but really - they just speak that way! For real?! Uh huh.

5. Friends
Last, but definitely not least, it's great to have friends in the best city in North America. And friends with big apartments right in Manhattan that let you stay there and will hang out with you and put up with your friends. Where would I be without these friends? Definitely not in NY!

So after my trip, I might have other things to add to this. Or at least, specific top 5's from this trip!

Top 5 Restaurants in North America (Outside of Vancouver)

2009-03-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Since I did the Top 5 restaurants in Vancouver, I've gotta do the Top 5 outside of Vancouver within North America that I've been to. I'm lucky that my work travel brings me to the best cities in the US (in my opinion), plus I have friends/family in some of those cities so I get to combine business with pleasure while I rack up the travel points. So here are some great restaurants I've been to.

1. Nobu in South Beach, Miami
This is in the Shore Club Hotel in South Beach. Dave and I were lucky to go there while on a hurrican stopover in Miami. We were en route to Jamaica in 2006, when we were "forced" to stay one night in Miami while we waited for the hurricane to pass! I think Nobu started the fusion Japanese trend, and still has this mastered. There are great ones in Vancouver (like Hapa, Gyuu, Kingyo), and there are others like Koi and Asia de Cuba - but Nobu is the best of the best when it comes to flavorful fusion Japanese. The ambience of this location is uber uber South Beach, too, so a cool experience overall. If you're in NY and want to go to Nobu - note that the "original" location does not have the same modern ambience as the South Beach location and looks a little more run-down and traditional Japanese in nature.

2. Koi in LA
On La Cienega near Melrose and Hollywood, I originally went here because you read about celebs hitting this restaurant so much in the tabloids. Celebs aside, the food here is kick ass too.
Again, like Nobu - fusion Japanese with extreme flavor! And celebs do go there too. We saw Will Smith, Simon (American Idol judge) both there.

3. Katsuya in Brentwood, CA
Another great fusion Japanese. Guess I like this stuff. Not as good as Koi,but if you're in LA, worth checking out. Interior is very LA, and they have a big menu of lots of great dishes to share with friends.

4. Tao in Las Vegas
OK, another fusion restaurant. Don't remember alot of the details of the menu, but remember the food being savory and fantastic. Going here for dinner also lets you skip the insane lineup to get into Tao nightclub. So worth the big dinner bill if you're looking for an experience at a hot Vegas club afterwards.

OK, so this is supposed to be Top 5. I can only think of these memorable spots right now. But I'll add to this when I hit a few spots in some upcoming trips.

Top 5 Restaurants in Vancouver in past 12 months

2009-02-24T22:32:00.000-08:00

Though I'm trying to save money, I do end up eating out a lot. There are so many new ones in Vancouver all the time, that I hardly ever eat at the same place twice! Here are my fave dining spots I've tried in Vancouver in the past year or so.

1. Chow in South Granville
Great service, great tasty food. You might look at the menu items and think "WTF"? Just talk to your server and take their recommendations. If you're walking on Granville - watch carefully as it's a hidden spot that's easy to miss.

2. Market in the new Shangri-La Hotel
Went here for lunch the other day with girls from DNA. 3 course lunch for $28. Pricier than a normal lunch, but fantastic flavors if you're looking for a nice place to take staff or clients. Try the tuna tartar on their appetizer list and beef tenderloin for mains. And if you have a group of 8 - ask for the private room in the back. It gets noisy in the main part of the restaurant, so it's nice to have the quiet of this private room.

3. Hapa Izakaya - Kits Beach location
Best fusion Japanese in town. Since we don't have Nobu or Koi in Vancouver, go here. Not as expensive! So flavorful and interesting blends. Another option is Kingyo in the West End - very similiar, copycat restaurant.

4. Italian Kitchen - Downtown location
OK, this is one spot I go to repeatedly. Love the atmosphere and food. Not your mama's Italian restaurant, but modern and tasty. My fave is always the beef carpaccio pizza... mmmmm...!

5. Cobre in Gastown
If you're a Vancouverite, you won't mind the streets of Gastown, but I'm always weary to take out of towners there. If you do get to the trendiest neighborhood for new restaurants these days, definitely check out Cobre. Not as good as Asia de Cuba, but worth checking out. Interesting blends of flavors and a surprisingly quiet environment to sit back and enjoy the company of friends.

Top 5 Oscar Disappointments

2009-02-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

Not too many surprises tonight, but couple of things did disappoint.

1. Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Are you kidding me? I just saw this movie this week, and though she is good, how much of a stretch is it for her to play a Spanish crazy artist woman? What about Taraji Henson - the woman's performance in Benjamin Button was absolutely brilliant. She made you want her as a mother, and truly made you believe in her motherly love for Benjamin.

2. Too many Slumdog, throw Benjamin Button a bone
Don't get me wrong, I liked Slumdog. And Benjamin Button walked away with Makeup, Visual Effects, Art Direction - fine. And though I don't think they should've gotten Brad Pitt or best picture, I did really like this movie. I don't care what people say about Benjamin vs. Forrest - this character was much more likeable and it moved me emotionally more than Slumdog.

3. Jennifer Aniston appearance
First, it was disappointing that she appeared. And then her appearance itself with the sideways braid was disappointing. You are average looking and make average movies. The Oscars are not for you.

4. High School musical kids on the show
Maybe I'm getting old, but Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens definitely did not belong on this show. At least Jennifer Aniston has been in movies. Have these people done anything besides be in a Disney musical and appear in People magazine holding hands, keeping Zac in the closet? And what's with her comment on "I feel like a young Audrey Hepburn" - you're not supposed to say those things about yourself, you wait for others to make those comments about you! Don't take credit for something like that!

5. Musical tribute with canes and top-hats
Did they actually need some filler this year? Did not fit in with anything this year. Keep Beyonce, Zac, and Vanessa at home next year.

Top 5 Oscar Moments

2009-02-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

The Oscars this year didn't have too many surprises. It was nice to see the little picture (Slumdog) win big. But it was also nice to see alot of Hollywood royalty in the new format. Here are my top 5s from tonight's Oscars.

1. New format for Actress/Actor categories
Love the new format! I hope they keep it this way. So much better than the dry just standing up there having last year's winner of the opposite sex present to this year's winner. Way to change it up! Not only is it awesome for people like us in the audience to see Hollywood heavies like Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Sophia Loren, Goldie Hawn - all up on stage together. But in particular, I liked that each of them did their personal shout-out to one nominee, giving a personal touch to their commentary (ie - DeNiro's joking to Sean Penn about his "gentle handling of the paparazzi").

2. Pineapple Express montage of comedies
WTF was this?! Bold move, loved it! Nice way to pull in audience that may not be into the heavy dramas that typically get nominated. Normally, you'd think the Academy wouldn't want the silliness of the weed-ridden scene, but pulling in James Franco and Seth Rogen for this was brilliant. Nice that the Academy is checking in with the reality of what people watch!

3. Anne Hathaway singing
New respect for this girl. She even changed out of her fancy Armani gown that she wore on the red carpet, so she could do her little song and dance with Hugh.

4. Milk Screenwriter's acceptance speech
When Dustin Lance Black won the award for best original screenplay, so nice to hear him tie it back to the big picture of equal right for gays and lesbians. Rather than rattling off a list of everyone that has helped him in his career since his high school drama teacher - yah, no one knows those names and it's not going to make a difference. Nice work Dustin.

5. Hugh Jackman, nice surprise
I was doubtful as to what the hell this Australian host was going to bring to the awards. Refreshingly charming, classy and funny. For the Oscars, as much of a fan of Chris Rock as I am, he was much more appropriate. Modern and multi-skilled with his hosting, some dancing and singing (though that dance number had to go).

Top 5 Celebrity Douchebag Recoveries

2009-02-16T22:06:00.000-08:00

In light of Chris Brown exposing himself as a girlfriend-beating douchebag, I thought I'd put together the top 5 celebrities that were once considered douchebags, but put together miraculous PR blitzes to save their reputations. Magic of their PR firms in hiding their douchebag-ness, or were they just misunderstood from the beginning?

1. Alec Baldwin

Leaked voicemail left for his 10-year old daughter one year. Following couple of years, the movie star morphes himself into a TV star on 30 Rock, boosted by the year of Tina Fey, top that off with bringing said daughter to SAG awards and voila - no more douchebag-ness.

2. Kevin Federline

He looked like a greasy rat. Literally. What court would give this douchebag custody rights, you'd think. But did he ever look like the perfect daddy when Britney fell off her rocker, shaved her head and spiral downhill so fast she was suicide candidate #1.

3. Mickey Rourke

Still looks like a douchebag. Sounds like a douchebag. I'd put money on that he smells like a douchebag. But he must NOT be a douchebag if he won a Golden Globe and is nominated for an Oscar, right? Right?

4. Tom Cruise

OK, he didn't really have the douchebag image problem. More like the crazy koo-koo image problem. Nonetheless, he clearly realized that hiring his sister as his PR manager was a big mistake. Hide your true self behind closed doors, Tom. Your new PR agent making you do the rounds and smile your big smile in promoting your Nazi movie is doing you wonders. This is the Tom Cruise the public fell in love with.

5. Celebrity douchebags that need new PR agents
I couldn't think of any others that have recovered. But maybe the following people can take some hints from the above 4 guys and either REALLY get their act together, or get their PR agents to spin some magic: Brody Jenner and Spencer Pratt (because I have no idea why these 2 people walk around like they're famous and I wish their 15 minutes would go away), Sean Avery (because he should just stay quiet like all good hockey players), Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, Criss Angel.

Top 5 Shopping Spots in LA

2009-02-14T16:35:00.001-08:00

Having just left LA and now stuck in Portland on a stopover (extended by another delay - remind me to always get a direct flight!), here are my top 5 shoppings spots in LA. I was going to do a Top 5 Things to Do in LA posting, but who's kidding who - the main thing I do when I'm there is shop.

1. Melrose Ave.
Go to Melrose for boutique stores that have unique clothes at reasonable prices. If you're heading there via La Cienega, make sure you go far enough past the brand name stores like Marc Jacobs, even past Paul Frank. Park around Martel Ave. and you can hit the good shops in that area, like Diva Boutique - unique clothes, wicked shoes, and nice guys that run it!

2. 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica
I hadn't been there in recent trips, but made my way there yesterday with my friend Jenn, opting for the outdoor shopping there rather than the Beverly Center this time. If not for anything else, the main reason to come here is the LARGEST Forever 21 I have ever seen. I didn't know they made them this big. The one here is better than the one in the Beverly Center. 3 floors and an overwhelming amount of clothes. Be prepared to be there for at least 2 hours so you can narrow down your selection!

I've never seen a celebrity there, but this site says they go there. I'm probably too busy shopping to see them.

3. Barney's warehouse sale (@ Santa Monica airport)
I wish I would have checked this out on this trip. It probably would've made me spend money that I shouldn't be. My friend Jenn went today and got a pair of $1100 Manolo's for 75% off. Brings it down to prices for normal people! This economy is good for something!

4. Beverly Center
If you're on Melrose and want to easily hit another spot with lots of good stores and don't want to navigate your way around LA and worry about LA traffic, Beverly Center is a good bet. They've got everything from low-end (Forever 21 of course), to mid-range (like Kenneth Cole) to high-end (like Gucci) to suit your various levels of fashion flavor and budget.

It's at La Cienega and Beverly/3rd Street, more info here.

5. Century City Mall
I'm stretching it by listing this one as fifth, because it can be hit or miss. But can't think of another realistic area, since other sites will list areas like Robertson or Rodeo, which are not realistic for most. Here, it's an outdoor mall (unlike Beverly, which is an indoor mall). The MNG/Mango store there makes it worthwhile. After hitting the department stores there, credit card ready, and nothing to buy - I went a little crazy in the Mango store last fall.

So next time I'm there, if I experience a better one, Century City may have to fall off this list.

Top 5 Things I Hate

2009-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

I actually hate alot of things. Not that I'm hugely pessimistic, I'm just very particular with what I like, and what I don't like. So let's try to narrow it down to the top 5.

1. UFC

I was guilted into going to Vegas 2 weeks ago while a UFC fight was going on. I hate it so much that I at first refused to go on the trip at all, based on the sole fact that the guys were going down to watch UFC. I want nothing to do with it. And making me watch it comes with a price. A big price if I am forced to watch it.

2. Feet

Men's feet in particular, but girls feet are gross too. Ratty socks, or no socks. I hate it when people have their feet near my line of sight. Like on the coffee table when I have to look past their feet to watch TV. Or if I'm laying on the ground watching TV and someone's feet are near my face. Disgusting.

3. Reality TV

Can we get back to regular drama and comedies. It's much more entertaining and mind stimulating to watch actors than listen to the non-sense drizzle of real people who never went to college. I'd like for these fast grabs of 15 minutes of fame to be over. Do it on YouTube, fine. But let's stop the networks from airing this crap.

4. Blood and guts

CSI is one of my faves. It's a real show with real actors with real storylines and writing. But when the morgue and cadaver scenes come up, I have to look away. That's probably why I barely know who this fat Santa Claus looking character is on CSI when he shows up in other scenes. Oh, right - he's the doctor that pulls apart the blood and guts.

5. People who hug, kiss-on-the-cheek too much

I don't need to hug and kiss every time I see my friends. A simple hello is sufficient. It's only acceptable and within my norms of behavior if it's a friend from out of town or one that you haven't seen in a long time. Otherwise, just say hi.

Top 5 Male Actors: Talent and Hotness

2009-02-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

1. Leonardo DiCaprio

Talent best displayed in: What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Talent disappointment: Revolutionary Road
Hottest in: The Departed and Blood Diamond (hello Seth Efricen accent!)
Not hot in: Titanic (too clean, too blonde)
Should really not: Slick back his hair for every awards show he shows up to

2. Colin Farrell

Talent best displayed in: In Bruges?
Talent disappointment: The stupid movie with Salma Hayek where he's a writer and she's a waitress
Hottest in: Miami Vice (hello handlebar moustache!)
Not hot in: a stupid fedora hat
Should really not: Dirty hair is fine. Dirty long long hair is gross.

3. Kiefer Sutherland

Talent best displayed in: 24
Talent disappointment: Don't even remember his old movies...
Hottest in: 24 Season 1 and 2; Ford Canada commercials
Not hot in: Stand By Me
Should really not: Do another season of 24. Move on to something else that leverages your talent and your hotness

4. Mark Wahlberg

Talent best displayed in: The Departed (even though he was wearing too much clothes)
Talent disappointment: When he wears too much clothes, or The Happening
Hottest in: The Italian Job
Not hot in: Too much clothes
Should really not: Wear too much clothes

5. Ben Affleck

Talent best displayed in: Boiler Room?
Talent disappointment: Playing Jack Ryan in Sum of All Fears - it was handed to you on a silver platter passed down from Harrison Ford and you screwed it up
Hottest in: Armageddon
Not hot in: Standing next to J. Lo (blech!)
Should really not: Have gotten married and had 2 children

Top 5 Reasons Vancouver & Whistler Could be Screwed for the Olympics

2009-02-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

When I was at the Frost & Sullivan conference this week in Anaheim, some Americans asked me if Vancouver was ready for the Olympics. Come to think of it, we're not, I thought. And we could be screwed. Why?

1. Transportation Nightmare a la Pemberton Festival

You think Vancouver traffic is already bad. Have you tried driving up to Whistler from Vancouver of a Friday night lately? We got stuck 5 km south of Squamish in what we thought must have been a big car accident. 45 minutes later, we realized that it was just the traffic slowing down at the 2 traffic lights leading up to Squamish. Are you kidding me? Was Pemberton Festival not a clear lesson in 10,000 people not fitting on a single-lane street?

2. Street People Shooting Up in Broad Daylight

Now that I drive from East Van to Downtown every day and back from home to work, I pass through Hastings and Main every day. And every day, I see the same shit right across the street from the police station. Some advice to tourists - keep your eyes forward, do not look them in the eye, do not hit them, do not honk when they jay-walk right in front of your car, do not unlock your car doors. Residents understand that this is a complex problem to solve. But it's not good for those right-wing American tourists.

3. Restaurant shortage in Whistler

When we were in Whistler last weekend, we stayed at the fabulous Nita Lake Lodge (by the way, which have the most kick-ass bathrooms that I've ever seen!). Since one of the couples in our group had their baby with them, our plan was to get some nice take-out Thai or Chinese, and have a nice night in. We called 5 places. 5. All of them said they would NOT deliver. Could not deliver. Their kitchens were too busy with dine-in guests. WTF - are you serioues? The volume of people in town was for Gay Ski Week. There may be lots of gay people in town. But this is not the Olympics people. Can we get some food please??

4. Cab Shortage

You think it's hard getting a cab in Vancouver or Whistler now? Wait till all the tourists and athletes hit our city!

5. Residents vs. Tourists: Get a Move On, People!

Couldn't think of anything else, except to say that there are going to be so many tourists in our city, that I don't think us residents understand the sheer volume of people that will be here, and the congestion it will cause all over the city. Not just traffic, not just in restaurants and hotels, not just getting a cab. But I get the feeling that having so many people here is going to be a little annoying for those of us used to moving around quickly in our own city. Even yesterday, for example, coming home from LA and arriving at YVR, I was right behind 2 big flights that had just landed from London and Taiwan. Large groups of winter tourists with snowboards and ski bags in their carts, walking ever so slowly through the luggage, customs and exit area. Too many people, walking too slowly, looking around. A little annoying for those of us that just want to get out and get home. I'm looking forward to the Olympics, but not looking forward to these types of crowds!

Top 5 Reasons to Hit Vegas

2009-02-10T20:46:00.000-08:00

I was in Vegas 2 weekends ago, so here goes on my Vegas Top 5 roundup. Aside from playing Texas Holdem with friends occasionally, I'm not a big gambler, so didn't hit the casinos. But here are some good things to hit in Vegas.

1. Morel's French Steakhouse (in the Palazzo Hotel)

Wicked food, wicked service. In the group of 11 of us, everyone (except the half-Chinese guy that can't eat beef without rolling around in the fetus position for the rest of the night), agreed that the steak was excellent. Service was outstanding - have never had 3 dedicated waiters to my table in my life. Not sure if that was due to the restaurant being surprisingly empty on the Saturday night of fight night and Superbowl, or whether everyone always gets 3 waiters per table.

2. Mixx at Mandalay Bay

Chill lounge with best view of the Strip from rooftop bar. Again, a little quiet for a Friday night, but a sign of the times in Vegas I suppose. For girls, check out the ladies' rooms and use the 2 stalls on the far right.

3. Tryst at Wynn

Tryst wasn't the celeb hotspot that my husband and his friends experienced last year, but a cool hot spot nonetheless. The crowd here was alot more upscale than Pure. But you have to truly buy yourself in. And DO NOT be fooled by the dudes on the Strip selling you VIP passes to night clubs because that shit doesn't work. You won't get past the degrading lineups unless you pay a personal Vegas concierge/host to literally walk you past the lineups and through the bouncers. You don't have to buy bottle service, but be prepared to pay.

The VIP lineup at Pure was a joke, with bouncer-monkeys doing the typical "I'm more important than you" attitude. Annoying because they got Ds and barely passed high school. More annoying because there were 12 of us (including 5 beautiful girls in the group), we were staying at Caesar's, and we were given VIP passes from various people. VIP must mean Very Idiotic Person to the dudes running Pure, because it was just a bunch of broke-ass hoochies hanging around the VIP "lineup" (actually, a totally disorganized mass of people trying to get the bouncer-monkey's attention).

So much for Caesar's Palace. We'll be checking in somewhere else next time, thanks. Maybe the guy I met this week at the conference that works for Venetian/Palazzo would appreciate a call.

4. Stand-Up Comedian
We saw Jerry Seinfeld at the Colisseum. I'd see an act like that over any other cheesy show in Vegas any time. And it's cheaper.

5. Buy Real Estate
Next time I'm down there, I'm bringing my credit card to buy a house. Seriously, I could actually buy a house with the current prices and my current credit line on my Visa. Vancouver real estate prices this is not.

Top 5 Things I Learned at the Frost & Sullivan Sales & Marketing Executives MindXchange

2009-02-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm at the Frost & Sullivan Sales & Marketing Executive MindXchange in Anaheim. A little smaller than expected, there are only about 50 people here. Nonetheless, it's a nice interactive format where sessions are discussions, rather than monologues. For me, nice to be able to open my mouth and hear my own thoughts and questions during a session, rather than being talked at for 8 hours.

So with all the speakers and discussions today, here are the most interesting things I've heard or learned. Some perhaps applicable to my job, others just interesting.

1. The next killer app for mobile devices? Mobility.
WTF was my first thought. Allen Kupetz, who gave us all his book "The Future of Less", proposes that "it is not individually email, or movies, or text messaging, or even voice calls that continue to drive the wireless revolution, but a combination of all of these in a mobile environment. People want to be able to do what they want when and where they want." Hmm... we've been saying that all along, but still wondering what the killer app is. Nice summary Allen.

2. Changing market perception starts with employees.
Both Alicia Dietsch (AT&T) and Sue de Leeuw (Blue Shield of California) focused on how the launch of their new brand in the marketplace, all started with their employees. Focusing on internal communications campaigns to ensure that employees are living the brand, and delivering the brand at all customer touchpoints. Both ladies presented case histories that had incredible content and solid results. They both really showed how brand value is much more than just pretty new logos. I only wish I had the manpower and the budgets to execute on something like this!

3. Big companies do long-term planning well.
Again, in both AT&T and Blue Shield presentations (as well as the value-based selling presentation by BP Products), there were long-term timelines for rolling out various phases of a plan. And I'm not talking Q1, Q2, Q3... I'm talking Year 1, Year 2, Year 3... I'm not sure if it's a sympton of me, or a symptom of my organization, but I don't have good long-term annual planning or outlook. Yes, my industry changes rapidly, having to re-align priorities based on market changes. At the same time, my company is also focused more on short-term quarterly achievements rather than a 3-year horizon on goals. Moreover, my own ADD personality is aligned this way so that I'm too impatient to give a project a 3-year timeline. Heck, I probably wouldn't be around to see something through it if was planned with that long of a horizon. But I do admire companies and people that have the patience and the tenacity to pull off a long-term roll-out like that.

4. Others in my company are inward focused.
Some other management in my company have been there for so long, that their view of the world is too entrenched in our product and our features. They need to get out into the real world more - see our customers, talk to our partners, come to conferences like this and hear about other companies challenges with CRM, sales, and marketing processes. Even our forward-looking plans still focus on features and challenges that are too old, and not progress enough. Even discussions with customers are too focused on challenges with our current product, but we should really be elevating the conversation to discuss the challenges in their business, and how our solution can address those today and in the future. This is how we will build a valuable product that people will pay money for. Now, it's one of my challenges to raise that level of conversation.

5. It's great to get validation.
Sometimes I think I'm smart. Other times, I wonder if my instincts are wrong. Today, it was great to get validation from other companies that they are doing things successfully, in areas where I have only talked about - not executed on. For example, Don Fowler from Siemens Medical talked about their strategic accounts program. Where they are providing on-site "consultation" or "audits" of how their customers are using their products, in order to understand where the gaps in their utilization are, or recommend other products. If that even results in saying that they don't need to order anything right now, than so be it. This is similar to the concept of the CRM Audit that we have discussed, which would be a simple audit, and can even be performed by an account manager (not necessarily a consultant). Sometimes, just hearing that another company is doing something successfully, gives me confidence to push things internally. And I suspect that others (in the management team and others in general) also feel this way, so me providing this third-party validation shoudl provide additional confidence in what we are doing so we can now focus on rolling it out.

So there we have it. My first "Top 5" blog posting.

If anything, at least this forces me to collect my thoughts at the end of the evening and summarize my thoughts so I can rest better at night without thoughts running through my head.