When Girls Don’t Graduate, We All Fail: A Call to Improve High School Graduation Rates for Girls, finds that one in four girls drops out of school, and that the numbers are even worse for girls of color. Plus, the economic costs of dropping out are particularly damaging for girls. Female dropouts earn significantly lower wages than male dropouts, are at greater risk of unemployment, and are more likely to rely on public support programs.

These findings are from a report from the National Women's Law Center. You can download the report here.

The Center emphasizes that interventions to address the dropout crisis must be tailored to the different needs of boys and girls of all races and ethnicities, based on the distinct experiences of these students and the enhanced research and data collection recommended by the report. Policymakers, educators, students, and parents all have a role to play in ensuring that students are provided the support they need to stay in school. A fully comprehensive dropout prevention strategy also requires:

Combating sexual harassment in schools. Both boys and girls report that they drop out in part because they do not feel safe at school. Download a fact sheet on sexual harassment for schools or for students.

Providing better support for pregnant and parenting students. Pregnancy and parenting responsibilities play a significant role in many girls' decisions to drop out of school.

Ensuring equal access for girls to career and technical education classes. These classes provide training for high-skill, high-wage jobs. Offering career education programs that emphasize the link between academic work, college success, and careers has been proven to reduce dropout rates.

Ensuring equal access for girls to after-school programs, including athletics programs. Studies have shown that participation in after-school programs improves graduation rates and academic achievement.

Source: NWLC

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sacramento State University

ACTORS WANTED!!
For 2008 Sac State Benefit Production of
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
And
A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT AND A PRAYER*
*(Men allowed to audition for this play)

*AUDITION DATES*
December 4: 7:00 pm. Women’s Resource Center Library 1010
Call-backs: December 10: 7:00 p.m. Women’s Resource Center

Performance dates are Feb. 13 14, 15, and 16th of 2008.
No prepared monologue needed. Auditions will be read from the script. You do not need to sign up in advance. If you cannot make the audition date, please call our office to arrange to an alternate time.

Auditions are open to ALL Students. We encourage women and men of all ages, ethnicities, ability levels, etc. to audition. In addition, NO PRIOR ACTING EXPERIENCE is necessary, nor recommended.

For more information contact The Women’s Resource Center at 278-7388 or visit our office in Library 1010.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last year's Congress made a technical error writing a new law, and the cost of birth control in many clinics is rising to almost 900 percent of what it was just months ago. Women who were paying $5 to $10 per month are now paying $40 to $50 for birth control. For the college students and low-income women who will be affected by this cost hike, that's no small matter.

For 20 years, drug companies have made it possible for college health clinics and safety-net providers to purchase birth control at low prices in order to pass along the savings to the college students and low-income women who rely on them.

However, this fall, college women returned to campus to discover that the birth control that previously cost them $5-10 for a monthly supply now cost $40-50 per pack, making it far more difficult to afford. Due to a provision included in the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), as of January 1, 2007, every college and university health center and hundreds of safety-net providers were unintentionally cut off from accessing low-cost birth control and passing on the low price to college women and low-income women. Skyrocketing prices are putting birth control out of reach for the college students and low-income women in need of family planning services to help them prevent unintended pregnancy.

Please ask your representative to co-sponsor the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, legislation that would make a technical fix to the DRA and restore safety-net and university clinics' ability to access low-cost contraceptives. This legislation would not cost either the federal government or state Medicaid agencies. It would merely allow drug manufacturers to offer deeply discounted prices to safety net health care providers.

You can send an automated response by accessing the Planned Parenthood website. Source: Planned Parenthood

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My husband's 54 year old brother was found dead in his apartment the Sunday before Thanksgiving. He was not married and lived alone. His legal next of kin was his 20 year old son. That was whom the coroner called to identify the body and discuss options for the autopsy. That was who, in concert with his one local and one remote sister, had to figure out whether to bury or cremate, what kind of funeral service to hold, what to place in an obituary, how to clean out his father's apartment and what to do with his car and his bills and collect on any life insurance, and even if there was any. I am sure that my brother-in-law would have done anything to avoid placing this burden on his children. And so would all of us. But that is what happens if you don't make plans in advance.

Please make sure you have a will and so does at least one trusted friend. In addition, there are some other items that should be documented. Your wishes as to burial or cremation, what type of funeral. In fact, locating the funeral company you want to use and the place you would like your funeral would be a great idea. And then find an attorney you trust to help your loved ones quickly sort out the estate, including what federal and state documents need to be filed. And make sure you have a designated family member or close friend who is willing to help in sorting through your posessions and making decisions about what gets saved and what gets given away. Sorting through your loved one's life possessions soon after their death requires a strong-minded helper.

At the end of the day, my brother-in-law's children did an amazing job, with lots of help from his ex-wife (and mother of 2 of his children) and her new husband. But the thought of a 20 year old having to deal with so many unknowns during a time of misery spurs me to write this so that all of us will think about how to lighten the burden for the relatives we leave behind.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Power Women 50 Index results at market close for November 27:

Click here for details.

About the Power Women 50 Index: We introduced the Index on October 11. The cover story in the current Fortune Magazine (October 15, 2007) featured the 50 most powerful women. The list included twelve CEOs of publicly traded companies. Assume an intial investment of $100,000 evenly spread over the twelve women-led companies in Fortune Magazine's Power Women 50. We will benchmark the Power Women 50 Index against the overall S&P 500 Index.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 5:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Crave Party, Sacramento’s Preeminent Women’s Night Out Event and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have partnered for the December 13, 2007 – “A Pink & Black Affair” being held at The Masonic Temple in downtown Sacramento. Crave Party Sacramento will donate 6% of gross profits for purchased tables and attendance for the December 13th event celebrating everything women love – beauty, fashion, shopping eating and more. Also, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure will be on site providing valuable breast health information to the female attendees.

“We believe the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a perfect fit for Crave and a true leader in fundraising for the cure of breast cancer and awareness”, stated Samantha Graham, Crave Party Producer. “Crave Party is a celebration of women, giving them one location to be pampered, shop, eat, relax and gain knowledge about local vendors catering specifically to them. ‘A Pink & Black Affair’ is the theme of the December 13th event celebrating all things pink and the elegance of black. We are very proud to be able to contribute monetarily and by offering a location for breast health awareness for our local community.”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Crave Party Sacramento will give a guaranteed minimum contribution of $1,300, as well as all proceeds from event raffles or silent auctions. For more information on the Komen Foundation Sacramento Valley Affiliate, please visit .

Crave Party Sacramento’s “A Pink & Black Affair” is expecting a multitude of female attendees and vendors at The Masonic Temple located at 1123 J St opposite the Convention Center in downtown Sacramento. The December 13th event is scheduled to start at 5:30pm and conclude at 9:30pm. For more information on Crave Party Sacramento, please visit or call (916)363-2942.

Grab a bunch of girlfriends and check it out.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Pierre and I are visiting South Padre Island in Texas. We are staying in a bed and breakfast owned by a French/English couple. Our English host suggested we take dinner at the Peninsula. We arrive to find out that it is the most upscale and expensive restaurant on 'the island'.

The parking lot was full of high-end vehicles, Audis, Acuras, Lexuses, Range Rovers, etc. Inside the restaurant was a lovely family of 5 dining - a young couple with 3 charming and well-behaved children. We had an enjoyable meal and only at the end did we realize we were the only English-speaking guests in the restaurant.

When we returned to the parking lot, we noticed that all of the license plates were from Mexico, except for ours.

Lou Dobbs, the Mexicans are coming and they have lots of money.

Gillian Parrillo and Pierre Cutler
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When a giant robot attacks Metropolis, send Superman. An alien attack? Get Green Lantern. When a car is hijacked by an escaped loony, turn on the bat signal, by all means. But if an ARMY shows up on your doorstep, that’s when you call in Wonder Woman.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

WEAVE (Women Escaping A Violent Environment) has not increased the number of beds (35) it has to offer in 20 years. But that will all change soon - as soon as they meet their $4M fundraising goal for a new 80-bed center

They have collected 60% of it (with help from a recent generous $500K contribution by the Rumsey Indian tribe).

The new larger shelter will allow the not-for-profit to serve more women (they currently serve 750 a year), will provide more services and training, and will allow those in need to stay longer, as they try to sort out their lives.

This is a great organization that provides empowered choices for women who are in desperate situations. Please consider supporting WEAVE. Check out the website to also find out where you can donate clothes to their benefit store.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Center for Reproductive Rights Releases 2007 "What if Roe Fell?" Report. In research conducted for the Center by Lake Research Associates, Americans say they want abortion to remain a federally protected right. Their support for Roe is clear. And they recognize that Roe is threatened.

What they don't seem to know is what would happen if the decision were overturned, how vulnerable many of them would be to losing their right to legal abortion, depending on what state they live in.

The poll found that:

Americans believe that Roe v. Wade is vulnerable under the current Supreme Court, but at the same time are largely unaware of legislative efforts underway at the state level to further undermine Roe.

The majority of Americans doesn't know what abortion laws exist in their state and tend to believe their state is supportive of abortion rights.

Seven in 10 Americans agree that government should not interfere with medically necessary procedures prescribed by health care professionals, including abortions.

The majority of voters favors their state making changes in the law to further protect a woman's right to abortion.

But this is what is really happening:

Anti-choice activists have introduced a new two-pronged strategy. First, they advance immediate bans that are designed to create a vehicle for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe. At the same time, they are pushing a new weapon—bans-in-waiting—which lay the foundation now for abortion to be criminalized immediately after Roe is overturned. These bans would criminalize abortion the instant Roe is overturned. Because they are not immediate, they generate few challenges when introduced or enacted, but their potential impact is extraordinary.

21 States at High Risk to outlaw abortion if Roe is overturned: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

9 States at Moderate Risk: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

20 States Likely to Protect abortion rights in the advent of a Roe reversal: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Seven of the 10 poorest states in the nation are highly likely to ban abortion within a year of a Roe reversal: two of these states, Mississippi and Louisiana, have already enacted bans-in-waiting. Banning abortion will have the most devastating impact on low-income women—who often struggle just to secure the resources to pay for an abortion. Notably, many of the poorest states also contain large populations of color. In a post-Roe world, poor women and poor women of color will have the most difficulty obtaining an abortion.

In the last three years, we’ve seen the states introduce the largest number of bills to ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy since the early 1990s. Seventeen states have introduced 38 bans—bans-in-waiting and immediate bans.

The bottom line? Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. The anti-choice forces, even though they represent a 30% minority, are actively chipping away at women's right to choose. And to me choice is all about women's rights - beginning with the right to determine whether and when and if to have children. If we can't decide that, then what other fundamental rights will be decided for us?

Please keep informed. Waking up one day to realize that you have lost a basic right without even realizing you were in danger of losing it, is not OK.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday I read a piece in the Dallas newspaper about the Dallas Women's Foundation. I was intrigued by the concept of a fund that raised money from women and then granted it to women and children's organization in town. I even visited their site in the middle of the night checking out the kind of grants they were making. I wondered how long it would be before Sacramento could also do something along those lines. (If there is something already, please let me know) and decided that I would write a post on this topic today.

Imagine my surprise when this morning a post was placed on the Huffington Post written by Helen LaKelly Hunt, a founder of the Dallas Women's Foundation. And she, in conjunction with her sister, Swanee Hunt, has issued a challenge to other women in order to raise $150M over the next two years 'to propel the aggregate assets and grant-making of women's foundations globally past the billion-dollar mark'.

Please check out her post. And let's figure out how to support Women Moving Millions, no matter how small the contribution we can make, to exceed their goal!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The College of Continuing Education at Sacramento State plans to introduce a forum for Women in Leadership in spring, 2008.

The forum will provide women in the Sacramento community an opportunity to interact, support one another and share solutions to work and life challenges. The goal is to offer a casual and fun environment where you can relax and leave with a recharged spirit, a new perspective and a new idea or two.

Please fill out the short survey to help in guiding the program.

Thanks to Susan Wheeler for sending this along.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I found a quote of yours from October 2006, which is still particularly pertinent today:

“I think it’s time Democrats stop being on the defensive and start taking to task the Republicans. The Democrats need to have the cajones to deal with the big issues. We have to be more militant about our expectations of politicians or our elected officials will continue their merry way.” She added, “They seem anaesthetized.”

I know you are looking down and shaking your head. Are there some strings you can pull for us up there? "No," I hear you say, "You have to grow your own cajones (or very big ovaries) and tell everyone, whether they want to hear it or not, this shit has got to stop!"

By the way, if you were as big a fan as I (and many others) was of Ann Richards, I think you will really appreciate the eulogy that her friend Liz Smith gave at Ann's funeral. Check it out here. I think it's such a great tribute to a wonderful friendship.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Surprise! Women on the Board Earn More a headline on Business Week trumpets. And it continues:

A recent study shows that in corporate boardrooms, female directors actually make more than their male counterparts

Stop being fobbed off. The world is not equal for women and taking a piece of data and reporting it completely out of context is unconscionable.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Federal researchers have found that overweight people have the lowest mortality rates of any weight group. Overweight people are defined as having body mass indexes of 25-30. You can calculate yours here.

The researchers went on to discover that obese peple have more deaths from heart disease. And thin people, while dying less from cancer and heart disease, had higher death rates from everything else.

Is Rubenesque making a comeback?. A third of the American public is hoping the answer is yes. The one third that are the healthiest and a little chubby! Or pick a description: ample, bearish, big, buxom, chunky, fatty, flabby, fleshy, full-figured, hefty, husky, pleasingly plump, plump, plumpish, podgy, portly, pudgy, roly-poly, rotund, round, stout, tubby, zaftig

Of course, you know once we get comfortable with this new rounded condition, there will be more research negating the first!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Check out the second in the California Lecture Series - November 15th 7:30PM at the Crest Theatre. Tickets are still available.
Featuring
HA JIN
National Book Award | PEN/Hemingway Award
A Free Life: A Novel
War Trash
Waiting: A Novel
The Crazed: A Novel

A preeminent writer in America today, Ha Jin brings his prodigious gifts to the telling of his new novel, A Free Life, a luminous, deeply moving story of a family of Chinese immigrants struggling to fulfill the American dream following the massacre at Tiananmen Square.
“Ha Jin’s writing is steeped in wit, rich metaphorical underpinnings, and . . .endless and wonderful detail." — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

2007-2008 Season
Yann Martel, October 24, 2007 Life of Pi: Deluxe Illustrated Edition
Ha Jin, November 15, 2007
Sue Miller, January 10, 2008 The Senator's Wife
Geraldine Brooks, February 6, 2008 People of the Book: A Novel
Richard Powers, March 3, 2008 The Echo Maker: A Novel
Tobias Wolff, May 8, 2008 Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories

Start ordering - you can click on any of the book titles to place your order with Amazon I have listed their most recent books. You can order tickets for each event or the whole series (preferable) by clicking on the link at the top of this post.

Start reading, start exercising your mind - preferably before a roaring fire with a cat curled up in your lap and a glass of great red wine in your hand!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Power Women 50 Index closed down 2.9% for the week ending November 9. The results:

Click here for details.

About the Power Women 50 Index: We introduced the Index on October 11. The cover story in the current Fortune Magazine (October 15, 2007) featured the 50 most powerful women. The list included twelve CEOs of publicly traded companies. Assume an intial investment of $100,000 evenly spread over the twelve women-led companies in Fortune Magazine's Power Women 50. We will benchmark the Power Women 50 Index against the overall S&P 500 Index.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Check out the gallery and see how green can be done in style.

You can read more background on this project here.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Another note in the mail:

I had a fabulous time, met dynanic women and thoroughly enjoyed speaker. I am looking forward to future events.

Gillian
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ms. Magazine's 35th Anniversary issue is on the newstands. I am pretty sure that I bought the first issue in July 1972.
It seemed like the right thing to do.

Everything I had always imagined for myself had just come crumbling down. The doctor husband, lifetime marriage, big house in the suburbs, 4 perfect children, stay at home mother, join a bridge club, dabble in a little philanthropy, etc., etc.

That March, my husband announced he couldn't be married anymore. Our children were almost 3 and 1. It was years later that he admitted to me that he was gay. There were some things you just didn't talk about back then and there had been no signs in terms of our intimacy level during our 5+ years of marriage.

I became the first to ever get divorced in my family - the family that was all living 3,000 miles away. The girl who had finallly made good after her flameout at Catholic school..."and here we go again with her".

But later I became the first in my family to take a child support case to the Court of Appeals and win and do most of the research myself to keep the cost down! (Good grief, it was the year he gave more to a charity than he paid to his kids).

I became one of the first to fight for a credit card in my name (back then if you didn't have a husband to have his name on the card, no card)

I became one of the first to put my kids through college with no help from their father.

I became one of the first to forgive my husband, not for leaving me (I had done that years before), but for emotionally abandoning his kids.

And I became one of the first to have their children thank them for never saying a bad word against their father (I am sure I said one or two) and always supporting and facilitating them to ensure they preserved a relationship (how ever small) with him. (I knew I couldn't be their mother and their father and knew how special a relationship with both of your parents should be).

I gathered strength from a consciousness-raising group that lasted more than 20 years.

I marched (pushing my children in strollers) for ratification of the equal rights amendment.

And eventually, I became a senior executive in Corporate America at a time when the glass ceiling was very much in tact.

And then one day, I quit and married again after being divorced for 27 years. But I did keep my last name, the only I had owned and for which I had built the brand for 33 years (and yes, it was my first husband's last name too!)

And looking back, we all survived - in fact, we thrived, just in different lives than we had planned - and I wouldn't change a thing!

And I am pretty sure that without the National Organization of Women and Ms. Magazine and all the brave feminists out there over all those years, I wouldn't have even thought to have done most of it, let alone have succeeded in doing it.

Thank you Ms.Magazine. May you publish for another 35 years!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Why are the top 224 paid CEOs in the U.S. all men? According to the Forbes Special Report on CEO Compensation, published this past May, Ann Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox (NYSE symbol XRX), is the highest paid female CEO, but ranks 225th on the list.

Women should be outraged! Women investors should be outraged!

After a quick scan of the the top 500 paid CEOs, I found just twelve women on the list. This is not progress.

Suggestion - women should stop this nonsense by insisting corporate America begin treating women fairly both in pay and position. And if corporate America refuses to act, then women should stop investing in male led companies until companies do the right thing.

Just twelve women in the top 500! Fellas, this is ridiculous. Anne, you might have delivered stellar results as reported earlier this week on www.SacramentoExecutive.com, but you are not being paid commensurate with the men and their results.

And we think America is ready for a female President? Hillary, I'm sorry, but the numbers don't bode well.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Remember all those dire warnings you have heard from industry groups about how California is losing numerous jobs because of its hostile business climate. Remember how the Governor refused to sign many bills that were considered to be additive to this hostile business climate. Well, it's all nonsense. A great scam by corporations to limit regulation, avoid taxation and limit benefits to employees while making us afraid. Oh, that fear thing again. Be afraid, very afraid, that all the jobs will move out of California because it is so hostile to companies and you won't have a place to work.

The real truth, according to a report written by the Public Policy Institute of California - during the last 15 years, California lost 11,000 jobs out of the 18 million it has. Sacramento was actually had a gain of 15,000 due to companies moving to the area from other California regions. That's 0.06%. It's a rounding error.

Let's get educated and then we won't be afraid anymore.

Read the report and read a more detailed explanation of the report on my other blog

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Couldn't have said it better myself:

It's hard to be a Democrat, don't you think? There's no alternative, of course, but it's hard....It's especially hard to remember that the real enemies are the Republicans, when the Democrats tend to break your heart and the Republicans are just the boys you'd never go out with anyway.

Read the whole post by Nora Ephron. It's worth it!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Austrian Removes 'Sexist' Urinals

By MAZIN ELFEHAID
The Associated Press
Thursday, October 19, 2006; 6:18 PM

VIENNA, Austria -- An Austrian businessman announced Thursday that he would get rid of urinals shaped like a woman's mouth from a public toilet near Vienna's national opera, after facing pressure from politicians who demanded their removal.

The urinals, which are located in the "Opera Toilet," a lavishly decorated public restroom, feature thick, lipsticked lips, a set of teeth and a bright red tongue.

An urinal shaped like the mouth of a woman are seen at a public toilet near Vienna's national opera, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006. The businessman who runs the toilet announced Thursday that he would get rid of the urinals, after facing pressure from politicians who demanded their removal.

"We think that it's tasteless, misogynistic and offensive," Marianne Lackner, media spokeswoman for the Vienna Department of Women's Affairs told The Associated Press.

The department, headed by Social Democrat Sonja Wehsely, said it was appealing to the owner's good will, but was also exploring the possibility of legal action.

Monika Vana, the Green Party's spokeswoman for women's affairs, also denounced the toilets, telling the Austria Press Agency that they are "sexist and inappropriate."

"The owner thinks the idea (of the urinal) is funny," Lackner said, adding that it seemed he was not prepared for the hostile reactions.

Neuhold Gerhard, owner of the toilet's operator Neuhold Gerhard Limited, said in an interview Thursday with Austrian public radio that he would remove the urinals.

"If there is such outrage in Austria then it's not a problem," he said. "We will remove them in the next 14 days."

Gerhard added that he thought it odd that public interest has only now been focused on the urinals, as they have been around for three years.

The urinals first made a splash during recent campaigns for national elections, as they were the only facility available near Austria's National Opera.

"The thing that surprises us the most," Lackner said, "is that no man has ever said anything about this."

I MUST NOT LOSE MY SENSE OF HUMOR....I MUST NOT LOSE MY SENSE OF HUMOR....

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ok, now I am getting mad. President Bush is asking Congress for $141 million, $28 million more than last year, for abstinence-only programs. To qualify, the programs must teach that "sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects." I don't think that even ,Bush' dog, Barney thinks these programs are working.

I know that study after study show that they are useless. And trust me I can cite many, many more.

Here's the Dallas Morning News info:

Texas - Schools don't have to offer sex education. If local school boards choose to, they must offer abstinence as the preferred choice for unmarried persons of school age and teach that abstinence only is the only 100% effective method of preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, HIV/AIDS and

the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity.

Texas' teenage birth rate has declined 19% between 1991 and 2004.

California offers sex education and state law requires both abstinence and other birth-control methods be taught. Information must be 'evidence-based, scientifically driven and demonstrated to have a positive impact." Caliornia rejects federal abstinence money.

California's teenage birth rate has declined 46% between 1991 and 2004.

Nationally, the birth rate has declined by 33% during these same dates.

Please contact your representative and tell them to stop wasting your money, stop using your money to give handouts, stop promoting complete nonsense, and stop ruining the lives of young people and the children they give birth to before they are prepared to be good parents.

Iraq, New Orleans, health care, gas crisis, the environment, the economy, immigration, incompetence, incompetence, incompetence.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Learn from the best how to turn your business idea into a succinct plan that investors will want to read .

Both speakers are partners of well-respected VC funds in Sacramento and both have real-life experience working in startups and both have spent many, many hours working with entrepreneurs.

This is a definite-attend event.

Date: Wednesday, November 7th Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Location: AOB IV Room 174 (Graduate School of Management Building), UC Davis Campus http://www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/map/

EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Learn the secrets to building a successful business plan. Discover how to commercialize your next great idea. This workshop will present you with valuable tools for creating a business plan. We are pleased to present Dr. Barbara Grant, Managing Director at American River Ventures and Scott Lenet, Managing Director of DFJ Frontier, as presenters for this year's workshop.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS...
Dr. Barbara Grant is a Managing Director of American River Ventures, a $100M, early stage venture capital firm headquartered in Sacramento. Prior to joining ARV in 2004, she was CEO of Siros Technologies, a Silicon Valley start-up company developing laser light sources, where she raised funding from top-tier investors. Prior to joining Siros, Barbara was at IBM for 21 years, where she held numerous executive positions , most recently as VP and General Manager in the Data Storage Solutions Business. Grant and her teams have been responsible for the development and introduction of over 50 new products over the course of her career. She was elected to the inaugural group of the Women in Technology Hall of Fame in 1996.

Scott Lenet is a founder and Managing Director of DFJ Frontier, a Draper Fisher Jurvetson affiliate and early stage technology venture capital fund. At Frontier, he leads fund management, fundraising and portfolio management efforts. Mr. Lenet has significant experience in the technology industry as an entrepreneur and as a venture capitalist. He was the founder and CEO of SmartFrog.com, purchased in 1999 by Cybergold (acquired by UAL).

For more information, visit the Big Bang! web site or email the Big Bang! at bigbang@ucdavis.edu.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Congratulations to Paula Radcliffe, winner of the New York Marathon, just nine months after giving birth to a daughter and recovering from a stress fracture of her sacrum. One more time, it shows the huge amounts of determination women possess.

Check out my personal feeling of connection to Paula, whom I credit 100% for my finishing my first ever triathlon a couple of months ago. This from an earlier post:

I am worried about the triathlon. I went out to do my last training today. I felt awful. I was breathless and dragging. I only did half of the workout I planned and decided I have tried my best to compete and I just won't be able to do it. There, I felt relieved. I will tell everyone I tried hard, but between the allergic reaction and the disintegrating discs in my back, I just couldn't fight through it. And then, a voice in my ear that is playing my Nike iPod connection - "This is Paula Radcliffe, congratulations, you just completed your fastest mile ever." Good grief, back to square one. I guess I am going to compete.

Thanks Paula...

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today I was reading about women on corporate boards and how women have the reputation of asking very direct questions - a good thing, in my book.

Here's another woman who wrote some pretty direct stuff about Citibank and is now getting death threats because the stock tumbled after her report. Goodness knows what threats she will receive when they hear the CEO is going to resign!

Here's the story from the London Times Online:

Meredith Whitney, the analyst who prompted a $369 billion (£177 billion) plunge in the value of US shares on Thursday by issuing a negative note on Citigroup, hit out at Wall Street’s culture of intimidation yesterday after receiving several death threats from investors in the bank.

Ms Whitney, a CIBC analyst who is married to the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion Death Mask, prompted a near 7 per cent drop in Citigroup’s shares on Thursday, after suggesting that the bank needed to raise more than $30 billion to restore its capital cushion.

She also downgraded her recommendation on Citigroup’s shares to “market underperform” in the note that set off America’s biggest stock market decline since August.

Ms Whitney, Forbes’s second-highest ranked stock picker for 2007, told The Times: “People are scared to be negative, especially when a company has such a wide holding. Clients are not pleased with my call and I have had several death threats.

“But it was the most straightforward call I’ve made in my career and I am surprised my peer analysts have been resistant. It’s so straightforward, it’s indisputable.”

Ms Whitney, whose marriage to John Charles Layfield, the wrestler, 2½ years ago was detailed in The New York Times, said that she has never felt any pressure from the Wall Street firms themselves to be positive. But she said investors could be “nasty and belligerent” if they felt you had lost them a lot of money by influencing the price of their shares.

“No one had the moxie to put in print what I put in print,” she said.

Ms Whitney’s note came two weeks after Citigroup reported a 57 per cent drop in its third-quarter profits, following a $6.5 billion writedown, much of which related to the credit crunch.

That writedown intensified recurring calls for Chuck Prince, Citigroup’s head, to stand down, although he remains at the helm of the world’s biggest bank.

But in a move that will fuel speculation about his position, Mr Prince yesterday cancelled a speech he had been due to give tomorrow at the US Japan Business Conference. A Citigroup spokesman said he had cancelled the appearance to prepare for the company’s new listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Monday.

Ms Whitney, 37, met Mr Layfield in 2003 when they were panelists on Bulls & Bears, a programme on Fox News.

Mr Layfield credits Ms Whitney with helping to make him more sophisticated. The New York Times reported him saying at their wedding: “She took a country boy like me and kind of refined me. I know what fork to use now at the dinner table, and I drink my beer from a glass.”

My lead would have read:

Meredith Whitney, Forbes' second-highest ranked stock picker for 2007 and the only analyst who had big enough ovaries to report the truth, issued a negative note on Citigroup, prompting a $369 billion (£177 billion) plunge in the value of US shares on Thursday.

I might have added:

To whom she is married and what she does in her spare time has nothing to do with the dismal failures at Citigroup and have not been included in this story because they are not relevant.

The reporter, Tom Bawden in New York, might want to put his sexism away for his next story, or he may have to suffer the wrath of women worldwide - although we draw the line at death threats!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New studies confirm that women may benefit from aspirin therapy, too, but not exactly the way men benefit. Recent studies identified these differences and similarities between the sexes and showed that aspirin:

Helps prevent a first stroke for women. There's no risk reduction for men.
Helps prevent a first heart attack for women over age 65 and for all men.
Helps prevent a second heart attack for men and women, regardless of age.

People should talk with their doctor before starting an aspirin a day. Regular aspirin use increases the risk of stomach ulcers or a bleeding (hemorrhagic) stroke. Current medical literature suggests that women who are at high risk of heart disease should be on daily aspirin therapy. However, people should weigh the benefits and risks with their doctor.

Source: Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Power Women 50 Index closed down 0.4% for the week ending November 2. The results:

Click here for details.

About the Power Women 50 Index: We introduced the Index on October 11. The cover story in the current Fortune Magazine (October 15, 2007) featured the 50 most powerful women. The list included twelve CEOs of publicly traded companies. Assume an intial investment of $100,000 evenly spread over the twelve women-led companies in Fortune Magazine's Power Women 50. We will benchmark the Power Women 50 Index against the overall S&P 500 Index.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was reading the November Cooking Light, which, by the way, has so many great recipes, that, after I tore them all out, there is almost nothing left of my copy! It also featured an easy way to significantly decrease your chance of getting cancer. It came from a study of more than 1,000 women over 4 years who combined supplements of 1,500 milligrams of calcium with 1,100 international units of vitamin D.

Results showed that participants were 60% less likely to develop cancer OF ANY TYPE during the study. Previous research has linked calcium and vitamin D to a reduction in breast and colon cancer. Researchers aren't precisely sure why these stunning results happened, but previous studies have shown that vitamin D can stifle abnormal cell growth and formation of blood vesels that supply tumors.

Low-fat milk is a great source of both nutrients. Both of these cancers run in my family. So I loaded up on calcium and vitamin D supplements during my Costco trip today. Maybe I will be able to grow finger nails too!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Whitney Roberts, the local leader of Ladies Who Launch, and an attendee at the first meeting of SacWomen sent out her monthly newsletter. It included this:

Thanks, Whitney. Great recommendation. Much appreciated. And can't wait to maximize the synergy between our organizations to the benefit of the women of Sacramento!

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

WEAVE, Sacramento's primary provider of crisis intervention services to victims of domestic violence, received a donation of $500,000 from Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians. The gift is the largest private donation to a $4M campaign to build a new 12,000 square foot facility for WEAVE.

The facility will go beyond just providing a secure, temporary home for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. WEAVE will also be able to offer on-site a more comprehensive range of counseling, parenting education and job skills training that will help its clients become self-sufficient and more likely to make a permanent break from domestic violence.

The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians owns and operates Cache Creek Casino Resort.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen.com

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From the Dallas Morning News today:

Work on Arizona border fence resumes

Construction resumed this week on fencing and barriers on the Arizona-Mexico border after Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived environmental laws.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Congratulations to Cristina Fernández Kirchner who on December 10th will take office as the first President of Argentina. It will also be the first time that a current President hands over his office to his wife (after a democratic vote).

Joining her on the platform after her speech was Ségolène Royal, France’s defeated presidential candidate, who reportedly told her how great it was that Argentinians were more intelligent than the French in voting for a woman.

So, do you think that Americans are more like the Argentinians or the French? I guess we will find out in a little more than a year.

Largest non-voting block in the 2004 elections - 20 million unmarried women. Please spread the word to every women you know to register to vote. It's easy. Don't believe it, watch this video.

Free entry to an upcoming SacWomen event for the first 5 women who provide me proof that they have registered to vote from this date forward. Email me at Gillian@SacramentoExecutive.com. Let's talk.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen.com

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two interesting teleclasses from WITI - Women In Technology International.

Success Strategies for Life & Career" - Begins Nov 27

"Exploring Your Life Mission" - Begins Nov 28

Both are reasonably priced. Check them out.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

Thanks to Shelley for passing this along.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is asking consumers to sign a petition to Congress as part of its Not In My Cart campaign. In part the petition reads:

It's time to pass legislation to hold manufacturers, importers and retailers to a higher standard and effectively enforce that standard.

Companies don't always know if products manufactured overseas are safe--unless they inspect them first. Companies must hire independent, government certified inspectors to ensure that imports meet U.S. safety standards. Products should be tested in the foreign factories and at our ports--before they wind up on U.S. shelves. And retailers must be required to remove all recalled products from shelves promptly, post prominent recall notices, and spot check products for safety. The retailer is the last stop before a product goes in my cart and must play a role in assuring my family's safety.

U.S. imports from foreign countries nearly doubled since 2000, while the funding for food and product inspection agencies went down or stayed the same. Compared to when it opened its doors in 1973, today's Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is half its original size in both staff and resources. Today's FDA manages to inspect only one percent of all food imports! With so little enforcement, companies that want to risk importing shoddy, unsafe products know they may well get away with it. We can do better.

Please help restore my confidence in the safety of the items in my cart.

If you are interested in signing the petition, visit the Consumers Union website.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)