Top 5 Ways to Channel Jack Bauer at the Office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!