Pierre

My friend Jon Schuller alterted me to the incident and wrote this heartfelt blog on the subject.

Was I naive in thinking that Sacramento, home of the brave and land of the free, would be outraged? Was I even more naive in imagining that a giant apology would be sent out immediately by the radio station, at the least, and heads would roll, at the most? Was I incorrect in considering how many sponsors would head for the hills? (I give credit to Chipotle, who did leave and I call upon the local family who owns the Sonic franchise to do the same in short order).

The response from the station was completely inappropriate. Arnie States, one of the DJs, basically said the whole segment was a joke and listeners should have known. (How dumb are we?) The station manager defended the DJs. "The show is filled with hyperbole and they use exaggerations to make a point," Jim Fox said.

Picking on kids who find themselves in the wrong bodies, who are made fun of on a daily basis and have a very high rate of commiting suicide and being murdered is not my idea of any kind of joke. To me it's a clear case of ignorance, irresponsibility and blatant discrimination - at the expense of confused, scared kids.

Come on, Sacramento. We are better than this. Don't just sit there. Stand up and say enough is enough. Write to the Station Manager. Write to the FCC. Write to the Sponsors. John Schuller has some great details on how to make an impact on his blog.

Let's be proud of what we stand for in Sacramento.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

I have a hearing loss for which I wear hearing aids, provided to me by a state run rehabilitation agency. A week after President Obama's election (for whom I campaigned vigorously), I attended a victory party. I lost one of my hearing aids on the public bus ride home so I immediately began the process of obtaining new hearing aids. Finally at the end of April, I received new aids, after submitting to the same audiological exams I've taken many times, with the same results (my hearing loss has remained at the same level). I had to miss an entire day of work, for which I was not paid, to go through this process. So while it took me over five months to receive new hearing aids, I am thankful for these new ones.

I am thankful I have agencies I can turn to for my health care, but it's exhausting. I just wish I could obtain decent, affordable health care that meets all my needs. I would be willing to pay on a sliding scale for this very sort of health care, provided for me by the federal government. I'm an American citizen and I LOVE my country. I work a full time job and I pay income taxes.

Please President Obama and Congress, we need decent, affordable, easy to use health care. Please don't forget about people like me.

Well said, David. You made so many great points that apply to so many hardworking Americans, just like you.

A person who works a full-time job should be paid enough to have health insurance. Clinics should be open during hours that are convenient for their users. If they were, the emergency rooms might be a little more open for true emergencies. And think of the money that would be saved if people could be treated in neighborhood clinics. And to think that someone, who has been deaf (David corrects me, and I apologize, he is hearing impaired, not deaf - moderate to moderately severe is the classification) since birth, should have to wait 5 months to get a hearing test so he could get a replacement hearing aid is beyond belief. I watched him struggle to hear for 5 months. Imagine the impact on you if you suddenly couldn't hear and there was nothing to be done for 5 months.

David lives very frugally. He has no car. He lives in a very modest apartment. And he doesn't splurge on expensive items. He works fulltime even though he is disabled. Let's fix this system so that everyone gets access to quality healthcare.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

You gotta love this picture! Fat kid. Dumb mom. Fresh from today's front page of the Dallas Morning News (photo taken by G.J. McGarthy).

This ten-year old child dons his mask as he leaves his Dallas area elementary school with his mother yesterday. Shouldn't his mother be more concerned about his obesity?

What is a greater health risk to this child? The flu or being too fat?

Yes folks, we are getting fatter as Americans. But perhaps it's because we are getting dumber too!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Are things improving. No. For example:

In 2006, women physicians earned 72% of their male counterparts.
Women in sales were at 64%.
Women in construction at 86%.
Women in computer and mathematical occupations at 85%.

While we applaud President Obama for signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, this law simply reinstates rights we had previously before a shocking Supreme Court decision.

We cannot continue this discrimination against women. Especially when women are often the sole providers in many households. Equal pay for equal work. What's so shocking about that?
What's so frightening about that? What's so hard about that?

Ladies (and gentlemen). Let's all stand up and make it happen. We can start by demanding the passage of the The Paycheck Fairness Act, It would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and barring retaliation against workers who disclose their wages. The bill also allows women to receive the same remedies for sex-based pay discrimination that are currently available to those subject to discrimination based on race and national origin.

Now, I need to go back to work. My earnings for 2009 are just beginning. And I am already 4 months behind! Reminds me of the guinea pig on that wheel! OK, no wheel. I just learned those are really bad for guinea pigs...maybe worse than pay discrimination for women???

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen.com

The president said, "Moses!" in a loud voice.The man just stared ahead, never acknowledging the President. The President pulled a Secret Service agent aside and, pointing to the robed man, asked him, "Am I crazy or does that man not look like Moses to you?" The Secret Service agent looked at the man and agreed.

"Well," said the President, "every time I say his name, he ignores me and stares straight ahead, refusing to speak. Watch!" Again the president yelled, "Moses!" and again the man ignored him.

The Secret Service agent went up to the man in the white robe and whispered, "You look just like Moses. Are you Moses?" The man leaned over and whispered back, "Yes, I am Moses. However, the last time I talked to a bush, I spent 40 years wandering in the desert and ended up leading my people to the only spot in the entire Middle East where there is no oil."

From my friend Malcolm.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Thursday, May 14 at 5:30pm (doors open at 5:00pm)
“Sacramento Philharmonic for the Homeless”
Westminster Church, 1300 N St, Sacramento, CA
Moved by the plight of Sacramento’s homeless, Mr. Fleisher and Philharmonic musicians created this unique event to raise much-needed funds for housing and other services for the city’s homeless.
NOTE: This is a free concert and open to the public. All donations will go to Sacramento’s Gifts to Share

Saturday, May 16 at 8:00pm (doors open at 6:45pm)
“Leon Fleisher, Renaissance Man at 80”
Community Center Theater, 1301 L St, Sacramento, CA
Performing under the direction of Mr. Fleisher is a first for the Sacramento Philharmonic. The concert will include Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“New World Symphony”), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Concerto No. 7 for Two Pianos and Concerto for Piano No. 12. Concert sponsors: McDonough Holland & Allen, P.C. and Sutter Medical Center Foundation of Sacramento, CA. Guest artist sponsor: Barbara K. Jackson of Davis, CA.
NOTE: For tickets call the Community Center Theater Box Office at 916-264-5181 or www.tickets.com. For group sales call the Sacramento Philharmonic offices 916-732-9045 ex. 103 Greg Wellman.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In March 2009, Mr. Fleisher released his first two-handed concerto recording in over 40 years. The release includes Mozart’s Piano Concertos No. 12 in A Major, K. 414; No. 7 in F Major for two pianos, K. 242 and No. 23 in A Major, K. 488. You can purchase it on Amazon.

Sounds like a fabulous week and a wonderful cause. Let's get behind this generous donation of talent by a gifted artist.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

A Travelers Guide to Wackadoodleonia
by: Harold Cook
Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 09:44 AM CDT
Originally posted at Letters From Texas

Dear Foreign Visitor:

As your guide to the sovereign state of Wackadoodleonia, welcome!

Yes, we realize you probably made your travel plans to "Texas" long before former Texas Governor Rick Perry, now the President And Supreme Commander of Wackadoodleonia, seceded and formed our own country. But despite this abrupt change, we think you'll find your stay here in Wackadoodleonia to be an enjoyable one.

We can't fault you for a bit of unease. We, too, thought at first that El Presidente Perry was kidding, when his comments suggested that he doesn't blame people a bit for wanting to secede from the United States of America - our neighbor to the North. But then, nationally-renowned statesmen Rush Limbaugh and Tom DeLay weighed in, the concept caught on, and the rest, as they say, is history.

We hope you will enjoy your time visiting Wackadoodleonia, but as with travel to any foreign country, a few precautions should be taken.

First, if you're traveling with children, please be aware that their health insurance coverage was declared null and void at our border. Please contact the Wackadoodleonia Department of Insurance for a rider which will cover your child during your visit. Unfortunately, coverage is very expensive here, when it's available at all, so good luck.

Also, please be aware that here in sunny Wackadoodleonia, we have instituted a "no tolerance" policy on crime, including instituting the death penalty for parking violations. There are no appeals, since there are no court houses. We tore them down after we deported all the lawyers. We now settle our disputes as a civilized and free people should - with guns.

We love our U.S. neighbors to the North. However, we must take issue with the border wall your country is now constructing, segregating us from the American states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Well, we don't mind the Oklahoma wall so much, but you get the point. Wackadoodleonians only want good paying jobs to feed their families; the fact that we are sneaking across the border into the U.S. is testament to your good-paying jobs and great employee benefits. Plus, we Wackadoodleonians are doing the jobs Americans don't want to do anyway. So please keep that in mind and try to be a little more sensitive, mmm-kay?

Also, as a U.S. visitor to Wackadoodleonia, please keep in mind that we have very strict laws against Americans voting in our elections. That's why we require that all voters show a valid Wackadoodleonia drivers license and an NRA Lifetime Membership card prior to being allowed to cast a vote for the Republican of their choice.

And finally - it's true what they say, "you can go to Wackadoodleonia, but don't drink the water!" Please note that even before Texas broke away from our oppressors to the North, Wackadoodleonia had the hightest amount of toxic chemicals released into our water anywhere in the U.S.

With those details aside, we hope you enjoy your stay, and hope you enjoyed Lee Greenwood's rousing "I'm Proud To Be A Wackadoodleonian" over the loudspeakers as you arrived at the airport! As President Perry says, "we're proud of Wackadoodleonia - how 'bout you?"

PS: we realize that we kind of messed up the whole look of the American flag when we withdrew from the Union. 49 stars instead of 50 just looks like crap - our bad. May we suggest that you take in Puerto Rico a state, if only to maintain the symmetry? Just a thought.

Y'all come down, y'hear?

Gillian and Pierre
The Sacramento Executive

Dave Brubeck composed this work as a tribute to the legendary California photographer Ansel Adams. Adams’ iconic photographs will be projected in the theater above the orchestra on a high definition video display, while the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra performs music composed especially to be performed with the photography.

The project is part of the orchestra's ongoing California Compositions, recognizing composers, musicians and people who have contributed to the cultural and historical richness of the Golden State. Chris Brubeck and Levi Saelua will co-host a pre-concert lecture at 7pm in the Auditorium of the Community Center Theater.

For tickets call the Community Center Theater Box Office at (916) 264-5181 or www.tickets.com. For group sales call the Sacramento Philharmonic offices (916) 732-9045 ex. 103 Greg Wellman

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

• Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG). Has been paying dividends without interruption since 1890.
• 3M (NYSE: MMM). In February, 3M raised its dividend for the 51st consecutive year.
• Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). This year, raised its dividend payout for the 47th year in a row.
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). Raised its dividend for the 46th straight year in 2008.
• Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI). Has paid dividends to shareholders since 1887.

But hold on - there's more to these numbers!

I decided to research the dividend history of Johnson & Johnson (as my daughter Rebekah has owned JNJ since she was twelve years old). Here's what I found:

On January 1, 1979, the price of a share of JNJ was $1.54. In 1979, the company paid a per share dividend of $.0417 (4.17 cents). On Friday, JNJ closed at $52.15 with a dividend of $1.795 per share paid in 2008. If an investor bought 1,000 shares at the beginning of 1979 ($1,540 investment) and faithfully reinvested the dividends, the investor would now have 1,802.45 shares and be worth $93,997.79 (annual return of 14.2%).

If the investor spent each dividend check rather than reinvesing, the investment would be worth $52,150 today.

Now that's an argument for reinvesting your dividends!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Note: email me at pierre@sacramentoexecutive.com and I will send you the details on my analysis.

Now, let's see - the starting salary for a teacher in Irving is approximately $46,000. $4.6 million dollars of books sitting in a warehouse unused. That's 100 additional teachers that could be in classrooms making a difference in the lives of children in Irving. Someone needs to fire a few administrators!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Marines retrieved bottled water Sunday from a pallet that parachuted off course into an opium field in Qalanderabad. Marines assured the Afghan farmer that he would be paid for the crop damage. The Dallas Morning News

The above photo (black and white version) and the caption were actually published in my Dallas newspaper today. I found the color version of the photo on the Sacramento Bee website.

Amazing!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Recall the questions his book raised? Why some companies make the leap and others don’t?

How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? … For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great?

Nucor (NYSE: NUE), the best company at harnessing culture and technology to produce low-cost steel, produced a stellar annual return on investment of 20.6% (from January 1, 2001 to March 20, 2009; includes dividends). The S&P 500 Index was down 6.4% per year over the same timeframe. So far so good - I mean so great! Nucor seems to be “Built To Last”!

What about the other ten? Well, not so great! And not even good! Just plain lousy!

• Abbott (NYSE: ABT) 2.6% annual ROI (price fell from $48.44 to $47.54; total dividends $12.51);
• Circuit City (NASDAQ: CTTYQ) –11.7% annual ROI (price fell from $16.06 to 0; total dividends $5.79; the company closed its doors in February);
• Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) –20.1% annual ROI (price fell from $86.75 to $0.70; total dividends $13.04);
• Gillette 5.0% annual ROI (Procter and Gamble (NYSE: PG) acquired Gillette in 2005 for $57 billion; price rose from $35.94 to $44.45; total dividends $9.24; assumes .975 share of PG per share of Gillette);
• Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) –1.4% annual ROI (price fell from $70.69 to $45.98; total dividends $16.79);
• Kroger (NYSE: KR) –2.7% annual ROI ( price fell from $27.63 to $20.71; total dividends $1.39);
• Altria (NSYE: MO) 1.2% annual ROI (price fell from $44.00 to $16.78; total dividends $31.85):
• Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) –0.1% annual ROI (price fell from $33.13 to $21.84, total dividends $11.06);
• Walgreen Company(NYSE: WAG) –5.3% annual ROI (price fell from $41.81 to $24.29, total dividends $2.55);
• Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) –2.5% annual ROI (price fell from $27.84 to $13.99; total dividends $8.55.

Jim Collins makes a living teaching leaders throughout the corporate and social sectors. I hope they don’t pay too much, because they may not get a great return on their investment (sorry for the pun!). So much for Jim Collins' expertise on enduring great companies!

Collins' book, "Good To Great" has been a big rage. Over 3 million copies have been sold. Is the herd mentality at work here? I'm reminded by an old saying, "just because 99 out of 100 people think an idea is a good idea, that doesn't make it a good idea".

I paid $29.99 for this eight-year old book last month. Can I get my money back? I expect this book will be on the clearance table soon.

Perhaps Collins’ sequel will be “From Good To Great, To Bad To Gone”.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Jim Lehrer is the acclaimed author of 18 novels, two memoirs and three plays. He is the executive editor and anchor for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS and has been the moderator for 10 nationally televised debates among candidates for the presidential elections.

Turn on the NewsHour on PBS and remember how news anchors used to be smart and insightful and respectful. Remember how much we miss that. Then jump online and buy tickets to see Jim Lehrer in person.

Tickets are $27 (students are $15) and can be bought through Tickets.com

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

"Your assumption about a 12% return is a reflection of the exhuberance that got this country into the mess it is in today. Real rates of return on investment - in aggregate - cannot exceed the real rate of growth of the global economy, which in the 2nd half of the 20th century was 4%, the highest ever. And even that figure, 4%, is probably skewed upwards because of the internet bubble which didn't burst until a few months after 12-31-99.

While some individual investors and small funds will obviously earn real rates of return in excess of 4%, to suggest that just anyone can make a passive investment in a 401K and expect anything remotely close to 12% is delusional. Tragically, this collective delusion is appealing and contagious and is the reason pension fund managers with responsibility for millions of workers misled themselves as well as policymakers - and here we are."

Here's my offer to Ed and anyone else willing to take me up on a bet: Let's bet $100 that I can make 12% in one year (I will document my trades here at www.sacramentoexecutive.com), beginning on April 1. If I lose, I will donate $100 to Kiva.org (a great micro finance company). If you lose, you agree to donate $100 to Kiva.org. For everyone who emails me (pierre@sacramentoexecutive.com) and takes me up on the bet, I will donate $100 per bet if I lose.

Any takers?

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive