10 things to do before you turn 50 By Jay McDonald • Bankrate.com

You've sensed the black bunting and cruel gag gifts dead ahead, the cheerful semi-surprise party of well-meaning younger friends and commiserating older ones who, like you, have decidedly mixed feelings about hitting the big 5-0.

The very least that can be said in favor of reaching the half-century mark is that it carries less angst than the big 3-0, less sting than the big 4-0, and certainly beats the alternative.

After all, you've accomplished far more at this point in your life than at those previous traumatic milestones. Chances are you've found love and married (perhaps more than once), you've raised a family (perhaps more than one), you've settled on what you're going to do when you grow up, and you've probably cobbled together enough assets to make retirement a real possibility.

Love, family, financial security -- what's not to like about turning 50?

Well, the downside is that one of these mornings you're going to wake up and actually be staring at a 50-year-old in the mirror.

The big 5-0, as everyone who has hit it will tell you, is the physical milestone. Somebody cranks up the gravity, makes all the print tiny and turns your favorite foods against you. Your doctor becomes a nag. Your clothes start shrinking. And you forget, but not selectively anymore.

Any day now, that AARP card will arrive in the mail and you'll be officially old. But that doesn't mean you have to go gently into that good night -- not by a long shot. After all, you're a baby boomer. You were born to be wild.

Here are the top 10 things you need to do before you greet the big 5-0:

1. Get lost

Looking for a personal mantra as you prepare to tee off down life's back nine? How about this one: Habits kill. By now, you may have seen more of other parts of the world than you've actually seen of your own hometown because you've been a good little Pythagorean and mastered the straight line between A and B and never got beyond point C.

But now is the time to get lost, at least metaphorically. Take that road you've never taken. Go to work by bus instead of train. Or get really radical, and walk somewhere. Mix it up. And be sure not to plan too much. It takes all the fun out of it.

2. Use the good china

Who doesn't know the frustrating feeling of watching our parents or older relatives deny themselves the pleasure of using fine china, linen, silver and other great things in life? Don't go there.

If you've got the good stuff swaddled in bubble wrap, locked away for safekeeping or displayed in fine glass cabinetry, pull it all out right now. Find the orneriest 3-year-old available and together build a ridiculous lunch of peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches with SpaghettiOs on grandma's finest. You'll be grinning for days.

3. Visit the wonder window

Been a couple decades since your kids were born? Need a double shot of wonder with that latte grande? One of the best free shows on earth is available at the maternity ward of your local hospital. Just drop in and stand at the window.

There's a wonderful charge from being in the presence of newborns, especially when we're feeling the tug of our own mortality. If you are a parent, it can put you in touch with all the reasons you brought your own kids into this world in the first place. That's a pretty nice place to revisit.

4. Lose the locks

Anthropologists are trying to isolate the gene that makes human beings cling against all reason to the hairstyles they had when they bought their first car. What's sadder than a 40-year-old man with a mullet? A 50-year-old with a comb-over or a ponytail, that's what.

At 50, it's time to lose the locks. Guys, give your boyhood barber a farewell tip, find a stylist half your age and get short and modern. Ladies, the '70s called and they want their long hair back. Go bobbed, go gelled, go asymmetrical, go crazy, but go short. You both will look 10 years younger.

5. Treat a stranger to dinner

Let's say you've done pretty well in life, climbed the corporate ladder, made it to the top, love the view. Congratulations. Now what? Compassion for those who didn't catch the same breaks is a pretty good place to start the cool-down from your career marathon.

Try this: The next time you dine out, look for someone who is alone, perhaps sad or troubled or less fortunate than yourself, and surreptitiously pay their waiter for their meal, anonymously. It might make a difference in their life and it will certainly make a difference, for the better, in yours.

6. Upgrade your vices

In the spin-cycle of youth, you wallowed in the shallow end when it came to pursuits of pleasure. You saw Rocky Horror 36 times, traveled with the Dead for a summer (you think), drank anything with an alcohol content and played Trivial Pursuit until your mind turned to cottage cheese. It was easy to waste time when you had so much of it.

Now you need to be a little more selective. Upgrade your vices. Read great books. See great movies. Drink better wines. Catch a live concert, philharmonic this time, now and then and spring for good seats. And spend more time with people who make you laugh. You've had the rest, now go only for the best.

7. Meet the folks

No one can give you a clearer forecast of what's in store for the second half of your life than your parents. If you haven't done so already, make a point to meet the folks on an adult level. As 50 approaches, chances are you are noticing lots in common with them that you can use to open the door to new mature relationships.

It will do wonders for all of you. Ask them about anything and everything they've experienced. You'll need all the gory details, especially the health-related ones, they sheltered you from in your younger days so you'll be able to age like a fine wine instead of a sour grape.

8. Scare yourself

One of the advantages of launching your second childhood now is that you've still got the muscle tone and mobility to truly push the envelope, get the adrenalin roaring and flash-test the old circuitry without winding up in the ER.

What's the scariest thing you always wanted to try? Glacier skiing? Skydiving? Spelunking? Karaoke? Don't just dream about it, get out there and give it a go. Great cocktail stories often involve overcoming fear. Let this be your best one.

9. Get spontaneous

Remember those habits we earlier said are buzz killers? Well, those small, comfortably predictable action sequences actually do serve a purpose. They help guide us subconsciously through our daily existence. Without them, we would spend most of every morning just getting out of the house.

That said, after 50, most of our habits start to turn against us, for good reason: We are no longer the same person who formed them all those years ago. How to kick the ones we no longer need? Get spontaneous, right now. Seek new experiences, new technologies, new points of view, new possibilities. Pursue your bliss and let it guide you to new habits that will serve you better down the stretch.

10. Laugh more

Native American folklore says that the first question we ask upon dying is, "Why was I so serious?"

Life today is full of reasons to scowl, frown, sputter and fume, but you know what? That's just plain defeatism and it only makes you look and feel old. Find things that make you laugh and surround yourself with them.

Set laughter goals: laughing to tears daily; falling-down, rolling, pants-wetting hilarity once a week perhaps. Laughter is your tether to youth, an instant facelift, and the purest appreciation for what a cool ride this really is.

Happy Birthday, Pierre.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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Research studies have shown that an antioxidant that is found in red wine can select and then kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells. A chemical that makes grape skins and wine red has been shown to kill human leukemia and lymphoma cells that were cultured in a lab. The research is to be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. And, unlike other cancer treatments which often damage healthy cells while attempting to eradicate cancer cells, this compound doesn't.

About 44,000 new leukemia cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007, and there will be about 22,000 leukemia-related deaths according to the National Cancer Institute.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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I found these words of wisdom in Jeffrey Gitomer's "Little Red Book of Selling":

Ask the wrong questions. Get the wrong answers. The most important aspect of making a sale - is also a major weakness of every salesperson. Here are 9.5 benefits to make sales by:
1. Qualify the buyer.
2. Establish rapport.
3. Create prospect disparity.
4. Eliminate or differentiate from the competition.
5. Build credibility.
6. Know the customer and their business.
7. Identify needs.
8. Find hot buttons.
9. Get personal information.
9.5 Close the sale.

Great advice from the guru of selling!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

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From the Library Journal Blog

Michael Rogers
Revolt in Sacramento, or Jackass 3
May 29, 2007
Before the long weekend (mine was great, how was yours?) I meant to discuss a story detailing how the Sacramento PL staff are pissed off at the administration because centralized selection is sending its collection straight to hell. It seems 600 staffers and patrons signed a petition demanding action, citing numerous copies of garbage like yardbird Paris Hilton's autobiography and 30 copies of the Jackass 2 DVD clogging their collection, while classics get yanked and tossed if they haven't circulated over a given time slot. I recently wrote a How Do You Manage called Weed Killer about that very thing (score another one for me!).

Alas, I was waylaid by another story and never got to Sacramento. Pure luck, because the Sacramento Bee has this little gem of an update. Seems the crappy collection policy is one of many grievances staff has with the bosses. Along with stocking a lot of pop junk, a former librarian claims the admins annually reject $50,000 worth of free children's and YA books without explanation. There also are security issues, with Steve Crouch, the local AFL-CIO agent, saying that "libraries in certain neighborhoods are becoming magnets for troublemakers, gang members, and pedophiles."

There are two sides to every story, and administrators were not on hand to defend themselves, so this could be just a lot of old beefs bubbling to the serface. But if these accusations are true, you can easily see why they would have an affinity for something called Jackass.
Posted by Michael Rogers on May 29, 2007 | Comments (0)

Lots of nuggets in this one, but the part I want to focus on is the quote from Steve Crouch, the local AFL-CIO agent, "libraries in certain neighborhoods are becoming magnets for troublemakers, gang members, and pedophiles." I have written about this before.

Question: are there cities where this isn't true? Certainly any city I ever went to, the libraries are filled with the homeless. And many of these are mentally ill. And no knock on them - where are they supposed to go? If we don't provide services, mental health counseling, places for them to wash and go to the bathroom, etc., then the library employees become quasi mental health counselors/law enforcement. Not to mention that most libraries have now also become after school day care, so the library employees also have to fill that role.

Another nugget: As for stocking Paris Hilton's autobiography and JackAss, why wouldn't libraries change with the times and try to figure out what their demographic wants? Are the librarians complaining about how the nation's reporters have turned into stenographers, how CNN spends more time on Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole Smith, and other trivial nonsense while practically ignoring the war in Iraq? Case in point, the 'Sacramento' whales have received many, many more hours than the 3,400+ that have given up their lives in Iraq with no end in sight. What the library stocks is a symptom of the dissolution of seriousness and awareness in our society, not a cause of it.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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Yesterday my free trial version of McAfee that came on my new computer ran out. It was time to renew. But I was sure I still had a subscription with Norton from my old computer. First mistake: don't try to save $50 by doing something that appears easy but soon it becomes clear is way outside of the comfort zone. Several attempts to verify my unused subscription on Norton resulted only in a note that I could download a new version for $40. So, I think, maybe I should go figure out which package is the best and then just get that one. Lots of research later, I read a review that said I should first delete my anti-virus software before getting something new. So, delete I did. And then after realizing that most of the review sites are bogus sites to get you to buy a product, I decided to go with Kaspersky for a free trial. I downloaded it and went back to trying to use my computer. No email sending and receiving functionality. Well, that was not going to work. Lots of changes to settings, shutting down, bringing back up - nothing. Time for a RESTORE.

OK, the restore was finished and now I figure maybe I just have to stop getting so creative and just pay the money to McAfee and be done with it. $70 later (although there is a $30 refund if you can figure out how to get it), I have downloaded and am ready for action. Nothing - I can't find my network, no connection to the Internet and my email still isn't working. Time for a RESTORE to a time before the last RESTORE. (OK, I can see all you techies out there groaning, but this is what normal users do!)

Another RESTORE, nothing. Another RESTORE to even earlier. It's late, I go to bed. And every 15 minutes I hop up and come down to figure out if the restore is finished. Nope - back to bed. Back downstairs. This is getting tiring. Finally, success, my computer is restored. But still no connectivity to the Internet. Now I am getting desperate. Does it have something to do with the home network that ATT installed as part of their Uverse installation. If so, I don't have a clue how to do anything about that. More messing around. Finally I decided to see if my wireless network sensor is turned on (I'm sure that's not the correct technical term!). Fn F2. Yeah, back in business. Now maybe I can try the antivirus I want to try - Kaspersky. So, I download it, scan my system, and away we go. Now, let's see if McAfee stands by its 90 refund guarantee. I am betting they won't!

Cost - $70 plus whatever Kaspersky is going to cost in 30 days - $40. Loss of sleep - several hours. Worry about not being able to use my computer and the thought about who on earth I can find to fix it - huge.

All this technology stuff is getting way too complex for the average user.

PS: If you try to email me and I don't respond, I probably set up my virus protection incorrectly! Try me again.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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This coming Friday I have to go to the United Arab Emirates, a day after I turn fifty years old. Why? Because I didn't plan well when I was twenty-two years old and failed to take proper investment action. As a result, twenty-eight years later, I am paying dearly.

Ever since I can remember, I have been a big fan of Warren Buffett. On April 27, in my post "Avoiding The Trip to Iowa", I noted that over the past twenty-five years Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had an annual return on investment of 23.5%. Imagine, if at the age of twenty-two, I had invested $2,000 annually in Berkshire Hathaway and realized that kind of return, what I would be worth today! $3,866,777.

And if I did, I would not be traveling to Dubai on Friday to see a client, rather Gillian and I would be in southern France, enjoying our anniversary and birthdays.

Well, I still am a big fan of Warren Buffett and it is not too late to follow his lead. Here are the publicly traded companies in his portfolio:

United Health Group (UNH), Ingersoll Rand (IR), HR Block (HRB), Comcast (CMCSK), Nike (NKE), Petro China (PTR), Anheuser Busch (BUD), United Parcel Service (UPS) Suntrust Bank (STI), Tyco (TYC), American Standard (ADS), POSCO (PKX), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Wellpoint (WLP), General Electric (GE), Conoco Phillips (COP), Union Pacific (UNP), Walmart (WMT), US Bancorp (USB), M&T Bank (MTB), Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNI), USG Corp. (USG), Coca Cola (KO), American Express (AXP), Wells Fargo (WFC), Proctor & Gambel (PG), Moody's Corp. (MCO), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Westco Financial (WSC), and Washington Post (WPO).

By the way, Warren just doubled up on Johnson & Johnson and moved into railroad stocks.

Rebekah, don't sell your JNJ!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

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Did you know that the average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail every year?
Did you know that 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail?
Did you know there is an organization that will reduce your junk mail by 80-91%?
Did you know that this reduction will, over 5 years, conserve 1.7 trees and 700 gallons of water, and prevent 460 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere – and you’ll gain 40 hours of free time! And even help protect yourself from identify theft.
Interested, visit www.41pounds.org and sign up for their service. It costs $41 for 5 years of coverage and half of the profits go to non-profit organizations such as environmental groups, schools, and youth groups.

Think it's a good idea, it becomes even better as a fundraiser for your favorite non-profit.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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"Twenty years ago, when there was a labor shortage in the technology industry, technology firms routinely hired unqualified Americans and trained the hell out of them. Music and sociology majors were transformed into top-notch programmers. Now the only people who benefit from extensive training are H-1Bs," said Donna Conroy, director of brightfuturejobs.org, a white-collar lobbying organization, and a former tech pro. Conroy has been lobbying against expanding the H-1B visa hiring program for several years. (www.eweek.com). Check out the largest H-1B visa employers.

Technical skills stand out as the spot where the biggest chunk of chief information officers—25%—say their staff could most use improvement, in a survey released this week by recruiter Robert Half Technology. Project management skills run a close second, with 23% of the 1,400 CIOs polled indicating that's where they'd like to see their people improve.

The typical full-time computer professional last year averaged 42 hours, 24 minutes per week on the job—at the office, on the road and at home, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A CIO Insight analysis of U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows there was a loss of 75,000 women in the IT ranks from 2000 to 2006. Some people suggest women no longer find IT an attractive career because long hours on the job takes them away from their families.

The 2010 CIO is expected to be more of a leader than a manager. Tasks that previously burdened IT leaders—such as managing IT projects and infrastructure—will be easier to delegate, allowing the CIO to resurface as a strategist, relationship architect and leader, highly visible to business and upper management. (Courtesy eWeek)

Number 1 of the Top 100 CIOs. Yep, it's a woman.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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Now that Americans' eyes have finally been opened to the threat of global warming and the important impact that deforestation has on the whole delicate ecological balance, can we please stop producing millions of copies of Yellow Pages that no one uses anymore? I vote that we get to opt in. If we can't live without a copy, then we get to sign up to have our own personal copy delivered. Frankly, I haven't opened a yellow pages in a couple of years. I let my fingers do the walking in cyberspace where I can find businesses close to me, maps to get there, check out the companies' websites and read independent reviews about them. And surely savvy businesses have already flown the coop, after questionning their media spend on such an antiquated piece.

I think I will start the 'No More Yellow Pages' registry, similar to the 'Do Not Call' registry. Let's start getting serious about saving the trees.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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The vast array of Podcasts is dizzying. Here's but one sample of the variety. Just about anything you want to know, you can hear about on a podcast. Recently, I found the podcast that can be used for those training using the Couch to 5K. Nine podcasts to be used each of the nine weeks of training with great music and instructions on when to warm up, walk, run, cool down. All produced by a 43-year old from Northern California who wanted to get back in shape and made these as an adjunct to the Couch to 5K training program. They make the training fun and easier and take away all the excuses for not putting in the necessary road work. OK, you have to get headphones that don't fall out of your ears when you run - try the ones that clip behind your ears - and carrying an iPod is tough - I hope I am getting a nano for my birthday!

And now my very talented friend, Lisa Orrell of M7, has just added a Chickonomics podcast where she interviews leading women thinkers on issues that are important to women in business. Lisa, always a trend setter and a highly experienced marketing professional, already has a very successful series on marketing, Marketing Matters. So now, when I'm not listening to the 5K training podcasts, I am going to be tuning into Lisa's podcast series.

It's not tough to figure out how to subscribe - there are several different ways - I use iTunes. Just find the podcast and drag and drop into ITunes. It couldn't be simpler and it's a whole lot cheaper than driving to Borders and save trees too!

Give it a try. And let's support Lisa Orrell, who did so much for the technology community in Sacramento, as she strides into another new career, Chickonomics. Mark my words, it's going to be big.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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The Houston Rockets have hired Rick Adelman, former coach of the Sacramento Kings. Adelman is replacing Jeff Van Gundy who was let go after the Houston Rockets were eliminated in this year's first round of the playoffs. Adelman was left go by the Kings a year ago after the Kings were eliminated in that year's first round of the playoffs. The new coach of the Kings this year, Eric Musselman, couldn't even get the Kings into the first round of the playoffs. All of this musical chairs is making me dizzy. Plus, I heard that Dallas is looking at Bibby and maybe even Artest. Now that would be crazy.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, now somewhere around $60.00.

A family member placed a call to Citibank. Here is the exchange:
Family Member: "I am calling to tell you she died in January."

Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Family Member: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections."

Citibank: "Since it is two months past due, it already has been."

Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

Citibank: "Either report her account to frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!"

Family Member: "Do you think God will be mad at her?" (I really liked this part!!!!)

Citibank: "Excuse me?"

Family Member: "Did you just get what I was telling you - the part about her being dead?"

Citibank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor." (Duh!)

Supervisor gets on the phone:
Family Member: "I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

Citibank: "The account was never closed and late fees and charges still apply." (This must be a phrase taught by the bank!)

Family Member: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

Citibank: (Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"

Family Member: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given)

Citibank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Family Member: "Sure." (Fax number is given)

After they get the fax:

Citibank: "Our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what more I can do to help."

Family Member: "Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I don't think she will care."

Citibank: "Well, the late fees and charges do still apply." (What is wrong with these people?!?)

Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"

Citibank: "That might help."

Family Member: " Odessa Memorial Cemetery , Highway 129, Plot Number 69."

Citibank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet? (Priceless!!)

Not sure if this really happened (so apologies to Citibank), but I could definitely believe it did. I have had conversations crazier than this lately with corporations that ought to know better. The other day I called to commend a service person for doing an extra good job. First response was: "That's all you called for?" Guess they don't get lots of these kinds of calls which is a little worrisome. And then I was on hold for 15 minutes trying to get me to someone who might want to know. After 15 minutes they said they would pass on the message. I bet they never did!

And this was a giant corporation who should know that the best feedback they get (and it's free too) is from their customers.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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Local tech startup entrepreneur Adam Kalsey has had his company, Feed Crier, acquired by IMified.

It all started when the two companies started working together and they liked each other so much and the products fit so well that it ended up with Adam and his company becoming a part of IMified. Adam's company, Feed Crier, allows RSS feeds from sites directly to your IM system. No details on the price paid.

Adam has been a big booster of technology startup activity in Sacramento hosting monthly dinners for local startup founders and currently planning for Bar Camp on June 2nd and 3rd.

I hope his new responsibilities will still leave him time to continue his entrepreneurial activities in this important area. Knowing his energy and passion, I am sure he will make it a priority.

See, sometimes good things do happen to good people. Congrats Adam.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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Six months ago I visited my primary care physician. My hip hurt. Probably it was to do with age and the fact we have lots of stairs in our new house. But I had hope that maybe someone could fix it. She told me I had bursitis in my hip and to go to the orthopedic department at the local hospital and they would give me a shot in my hip and I would be good as new. But instead after an Xray, a MRI, several visits to the nurse practioner, several physical therapy sessions and a shot in my hip, my hip hurt just the same. That was a big disappointment. But the worse disappointment was the thousands of dollars worth of bills. And all the time I was pretty sure it really didn't have much to do with my hip, that was just where the pain was. At some point, with no results, I just stopped going. And no one seemed to care.

Last week I went back to my doctor for my annual checkup. I told her my hip still hurt. Now I have a new orthopedic guy, I already had an epidural (shot into my spine) and today I visited a vastly superior physical therapy person. The diagnosis is new - my lower back discs are compressing a nerve that comes down into my hip area. Not sure how much this time, but I sure hope it helps.

So, if it was any other profession, I think you would get to call up and say, hey, your diagnosis sucked and I never got better and either fix it or I am not paying. But we don't do that with doctors. I don't know why and I think we should. Holding them accountable seems an important thing to do so that they get it right the next time with the next person.

I hope this new diagnosis is better than the last one because I feel the bills ramping up.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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Drum Roll please.

The IPv6 Forum recognises the outstanding contributions of individuals to the cause of IPv6 development, promotion and deployment. We acknowledge the individuals with the award of the IPv6 Forum's IPv6 Pioneer status:

HyoungJun Kim (Seoul 2007)
Geof Lambert. (Sacramento 2007)
George Usi (Sacramento 2007)

Just a few short years ago, my business partner, Geof Lambert got all excited when reading something on the Internet and all we heard from him for months was IPv6 this and IPv6 that and we all rolled our eyes and said, "Oh good grief, what is Geof up to now?" But Geof just went about his business lining people up for events and meeting people worldwide on the Internet who also were excited about IPv6. And he quickly figured out that countries around the world were much further ahead of the US in preparing for IPv6, which by then I had figured out by actually listening to Geof at some point, was the new version of the Internet. Geof got in touch with Vint Cerf, one of the father's of the Internet, long before he joined Google, and Vint came to town to some IPv6 meetings. And Geof got a meeting with Clark Kelso, the CIO of the State of California, and got him to think about IPv6. And then Geof held meetings with first responders - I remember being at the Fire Department in Elk Grove - and got them all excited about what IPv6 could do for them. And then he even went to DC and talked to the Homeland Security people. And in the midst of this, he got George Usi of Sacramento all excited about IPv6 and he started getting involved in a big way. And all along Geof had an idea that everything that happens technologically in the United States doesn't have to happen in Silicon Valley. One day, he vowed, he was going to get Sacramento on the list.

Well, Geof, you just did. Check out the list above. Two guys from Sacramento getting a worldwide distinguished honor. You have my total respect. You kept at it, you did it on a shoestring and you really got people thinking and acting. And I am sure you have a few more of these ideas up your sleeve because you are always thinking about what's going to be big in the future. And you never let anything get in your way - not even all the people who roll their eyes at your 'new ideas'.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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On Thursday night I completed a 5K - my first for sure. Some might find this not to be big news, but to anyone who knows me, it will come as quite a shock! I didn't come last overall, I didn't come last in my age group and, in fact, if I had waited 3 more weeks for a new age group, I would have gotten fourth place!

I had in mind to walk it, but Pierre, at my side, kept motivating me to run some, and then, after the first mile, running more didn't seem so hard. The next day I had a epidural shot in my spine, but that was already scheduled for my bad hip - really! Although I must say I would highly recommend the timing as it certainly helped with any aching as a result of the 5K!

My friend in Sacramento, with whom I will be competing in a triathalon in August, keeps telling me we are going to win. I have continued to tell her I am just planning on living to cross the finish line. When I sent her a note to tell her I had made it across the finish line - and not in last position, she replied, "See, I told you we were going to win."

So, stay tuned. I am planning on doing another in mid-June. And then I will be in another age group and maybe I will win a prize. In the 80-99 age group for women, there were only two contenders - automatic prize.

I have always lived my life backwards, marriage, kids, divorce, career, remarriage - and now maybe it's time to be fit!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

From the Sacramento Business Journal:

The Sacramento region is the second most affordable area in the state for first-time homebuyers, according to a report released Thursday by the California Association of Realtors.

In Greater Sacramento, 43 percent of households could afford to buy an entry level home, up from 40 percent last year. The first-time buyer median price was $310,670, with a minimum qualifying income of $62,640.

The percentage of households who could afford to buy an entry-level home in California stood at 25 percent in the first quarter, down slightly from 26 percent for the same period a year ago.

Statewide, the minimum household income needed to purchase an entry-level home for $480,670 in the first quarter was $96,910, based on an adjustable interest rate of 6.3 percent and assuming a 10 percent down payment.

At 44 percent, the High Desert region was the most affordable in the state, followed by the Sacramento. Santa Barbara was the least affordable region in the state at 12 percent, followed by the Monterey region at 19 percent.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

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On May 9th 2007 the BBC ran an online story entitled “UN Warns on Hazards of Biofuels” where they conclude “Current research concludes that using biomass for combined heat and power (CHP), rather than for transport fuels or other uses, is the best option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade - and also one of the cheapest.”

The report also correctly points out that “demand for biofuels has accelerated the clearing of primary forest for palm plantations, particularly in southeast Asia.”
There’s more: The report notes water is a concern, stating “The expanding world population and the on-going switch towards consumption of meat and dairy produce as incomes rise are already putting pressure on freshwater supplies, which increased growing of biofuel crops could exacerbate.”

These problems with biofuels, which we have explored in-depth in several posts, including “Ethanol & Water,” “Deforestation & Global Warming,” and literally dozens of others (ref. post categories Biofuel and Global Warming), can be boiled down to the following position: Global warming alarm, primarily manifested as a war against industrial CO2 emissions, has had one major impact so far, which is to launch devastating new rounds of tropical deforestation, which is exacerbating global drought, extreme weather, water scarcity, wildlife destruction, and, you guessed it, global warming.

There is a need for biofuel certification, and the ugly inconvenient truth is if you came up with a comprehensive set of criteria for biofuel certification, there may not be any environmentally justifiable reason to grow biofuel, other than in certain low yield applications in arid regions to stablize soil, and within contained, factory environments. Here are some of the criteria biofuel needs to meet:
(1) Biofuel cannot displace food crops.
(2) Biofuel cannot displace rainforest.
(3) Biofuel cannot displace critical wildlife habitat.
(4) Production of biofuel must be decisively energy positive.
(5) Biofuel must not exacerbate water scarcity, either in the growing or the refining process.
(6) Biofuel plantations cannot exploit local labor, or exclude local ownership.
(7) Biofuel use should be encouraged in the most efficient applications, such as combined heat and power, and not automatically be directed into the automotive sector.
(8) Biofuel produced using cellulosic extraction must not prevent valuable organic matter from returning to the soil.

Any other criteria? When viewed against these criteria, the potential for an environmentally correct biofuel industry becomes far more problematic than is generally acknowledged.

Whatever happened to “Save the Rainforests?”

Ed Ring
Editor, EcoWorld

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Eighteen months ago I heard Doug Bush, the CTO of Intel, talk about Intel's foray into the healthcare arena - from a technology point of view, of course. And then he talked about products that seemed so marginal as to be completely irrelevant. I remember some discussion about a light that turns on in a distant senior relative's house when the family comes home every night - to make them feel included, remotely?

But today, I thought of that moment and wished that Intel had chosen to take a big bite out of this industry that is so antiquated technology-wise. I was sitting, not for the first time, in a doctor's office filling out all of the same information for the nth time in my life. Now, when was that appendectomy? Oh, when I was 7. If I had a dollar for every time I have provided that information, I could pay for the doctor to come to my house, sit in my waiting room for hours on end, and fill out my forms for me.

I am aware that there are privacy concerns, but why can't we have a system that allows for me to input all of my pertinent information just one time and then carry it around with me - either on paper or on a disc or a bracelet or a chip planted under my skin. All that would require would be for medical professionals to standardize on one form - one that hopefully has boxes big enough to actually allow the information requested to be added. So, when the office says, "remember to bring your health insurance card," they could add "and your PMI - personal medical information- and make sure it's updated!"

Because frankly, I am done with filling out these stupid forms. And if Intel doesn't want this idea, then maybe I could start a company that figures it out really fast.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's that tme of year again. Interviewing has begun for the best candidates for next year's Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA) class. This will be the 27th annual class and will welcome another 25-30 students who are seeking world-class, hands-on training in how to successfully start and run a new business. In addition, students will make business relationships that will last a lifetime. SEA is supported by a strong Board, Advisory Board and Alumni, now more than 500 strong, made up of strong leaders in the Sacramento business community. The experience has no parallel and, as such, the commitment is arduous - each Saturday morning during the entire academic year and whatever time outside the formal class to work with teammates on producing a business plan.

Students are usually juniors or above or graduate students at UC Davis or CSUS. But we have had students who have never graduated from college, older students who are planning a career change and even a retiree. The only entrance requirements are an ability to show an interviewing panel that you have a strong desire to be an entrepreneur, a willingness to make a strong commitment for the year, and a high level of ethics.

This is a wonderful opportunity that will serve each successful graduate well for years to come.

If you are interested, please contact director Linda Chock via email at sealink@sbcglobal.net.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Trust Sacramento entrepreneurs Adam Kalsey and Scott Hildebrand to be on the cutting edge of things. They are promoting their BarCamp. What, you might ask, is a BarCamp. This is what Wikipedia says:

BarCamp is an international network of unconferences — open, participatory workshop-events, whose content is provided by participants — focusing on early-stage web applications, and related open source technologies and social protocols. The name is a playful allusion to its origins, with reference to the hacker slang term, foobar: BarCamp arose as a spin-off from Foo Camp, an annual invitation-only unconference hosted by open source publishing luminary, Tim O'Reilly.

And so Scott Hildebrand posts:

SacStarts is hosting the first ever BarCamp Sacramento June 2nd and 3rd. We’ve got some fantastic sponsors already, and some pretty amazing tech people are signed up to participate. There is still room for more sponsors and still lots of room for presentations and workshops. BarCamps are typically very tech-programming-web-startup-related, but so far it looks like we’ll be the biggest food BarCamp ever, with presentations on roasting your own coffee, baking your own chocolate, and one of the most famous food/cooking bloggers is signed up to come. I have no idea what I’m going to present yet, but it’ll probably be related to Max/MSP, PD, 3D audio or something else that I don’t remember how to do.

Sounds like a great day. You can sign up at Sacstarts

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Take 60 seconds to do this, I guarantee you will show someone else, it's too funny not to.

1. Go to www.google.com
2. Click on "maps," above the search bar...
3. Click on "get directions"
4. Type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
5. Type "Paris" in the second box (the "to" box)
6. Click on "get directions"
7. Scroll down to step #24 on the directions

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

According to a study released today by Media Matters for America at least 77 percent of the 2,150 guests who appeared on the four major Sunday shows in 2005-06 were men; at least 82 percent were white. On Meet the Press and Face the Nation, there were nearly nine white guests for every guest of another race/ethnicity.

No wonder Katie Couric is floundering over at CBS News. Getting news from a woman is just not what we are used to.

Thank you Media Matters for pointing this out. And please come investigate pretty much every other part of society - see Pierre's post on the CEO's of Dallas from yesterday. And maybe, just maybe, there's a reason we have seen so many high profile women fall from grace - Carly Fiorina from HP, as an example. It's pretty hard to thrive in a world that is built by men for men. Let's support the Women's Media Center, who are trying to do something about the lack of diversity in media. As Jane Fonda, a Women's Media Center Board Member so rightly says, "When the media does not reflect the vibrant diversity of the people on this planet, both the quality of journalism and the quality of our democracy suffer." And she says further, "Because you can’t tell the whole story when you leave out half the population".

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A very interesting list that I am sure that Pierre and I will be discussing in more detail on future blogs. The list contains many items that we constantly discuss and to which we look for innovative and daring answers. Thanks to Calvin Chan for posting this on the Sacramento Entrpereneurship Academy community website.

"I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.”

- Steve Jobs

His accomplishments and character helped define a generation and change the world. He is co-founder of the fairytale company we now know as Apple Computers. And he is the visionary of the personal computers world that led the entire computer hardware and software industry to restructure itself.

This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. And even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out.

Here’s a selection of some of the most insanely great things he said, golden lessons to help you succeed in life, Jobs-style:

1. Steve Jobs said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Innovation has no limits. The only limit is your imagination. It’s time for you to begin thinking out of the box. If you are involved in a growing industry, think of ways to become more efficient; more customer friendly; and easier to do business with. If you are involved in a shrinking industry – get out of it quick and change before you become obsolete; out of work; or out of business. And remember that procrastination is not an option here. Start innovating now!

2. Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

There is no shortcut to excellence. You will have to make the commitment to make excellence your priority. Use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible and get ahead of others by giving that little extra. Live by a higher standard and pay attention to the details that really do make the difference. Excellence is not difficult - simply decide right now to give it your best shot - and you will be amazed with what life gives you back.

3. Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

I’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” Seek out an occupation that gives you a sense of meaning, direction and satisfaction in life. Having a sense of purpose and striving towards goals gives life meaning, direction and satisfaction. It not only contributes to health and longevity, but also makes you feel better in difficult times. Do you jump out of bed on Monday mornings and look forward to the work week? If the answer is ‘no’ keep looking, you’ll know when you find it.

4. Steve Jobs said: “You know, we don’t grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we’re constantly taking things. It’s a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge.”

Live in a way that is ethically responsible. Try to make a difference in this world and contribute to the higher good. You’ll find it gives more meaning to your life and it’s a great antidote to boredom. There is always so much to be done. And talk to others about what you are doing. Don’t preach or be self-righteous, or fanatical about it, that just puts people off, but at the same time, don’t be shy about setting an example, and use opportunities that arise to let others know what you are doing.

5. Steve Jobs said: “There’s a phrase in Buddhism, ‘Beginner’s mind.’ It’s wonderful to have a beginner’s mind.”

It is the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything. Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgements and prejudices. Think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement.

6. Steve Jobs said: “We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”

Reams of academic studies over the decades have amply confirmed television’s pernicious mental and moral influences. And most TV watchers know that their habit is mind-numbing and wasteful, but still spend most of their time in front of that box. So turn your TV off and save some brain cells. But be cautious, you can turn your brain off by using a computer also. Try and have an intelligent conversation with someone who plays first person shooters for 8 hours a day. Or auto race games, or role-playing games.

7. Steve Jobs said: “I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

Don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. There is no such thing as a successful person who has not failed or made mistakes, there are successful people who made mistakes and changed their lives or performance in response to them, and so got it right the next time. They viewed mistakes as warnings rather than signs of hopeless inadequacy. Never making a mistake means never living life to the full.

8. Steve Jobs said: “I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”

Over the last decade, numerous books featuring lessons from historical figures have appeared on the shelves of bookstores around the world. And Socrates stands with Leonardo da Vinci, Nicholas Copernicus, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein as a beacon of inspiration for independent thinkers. But he came first. Cicero said of Socrates that, “He called philosophy down from the skies and into the lives of men.” So use Socrates’ principles in your life, your work, your learning, and your relationships. It’s not about Socrates, it’s really about you, and how you can bring more truth, beauty and goodness into your life everyday.

9. Steve Jobs said: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

Did you know that you have big things to accomplish in life? And did you know that those big things are getting rather dusty while you pour yourself another cup of coffee, and decide to mull things over rather than do them? We were all born with a gift to give in life, one which informs all of our desires, interests, passions and curiosities. This gift is, in fact, our purpose. And you don’t need permission to decide your own purpose. No boss, teacher, parent, priest or other authority can decide this for you. Just find that unique purpose.

10. Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Are you tired of living someone else’s dream? No doubt, its your life and you have every right to spend it in your own individual way without any hurdles or barriers from others. Give yourself a chance to nurture your creative qualities in a fear-free and pressure-free climate. Live a life that YOU choose and be your own boss.

Each lesson might be difficult to integrate into your life at first, but if you ease your way into each lesson, one at a time, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your overall performance. So go ahead, give them a try.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:15 AM | Permalink