I just started learning about nitrous oxide (NOx). When we electrified our house, we did it to burn less carbon. I signed up for MCE Deep Green so our share of energy usage would come from renewable sources. I felt good about paying extra (the notorious "green premium") for our all-electric home appliances. I feel… Continue reading Knocking your NOx off
Category: Politics
On community
This post has been in draft form for a long time. On this Sunday morning, I'm reminded that I have a natural park in my backyard, a resort-like setting, and a 16-inch 2019 MacBook Pro to warm my lap as I type. What could be better than to spoil this moment by writing about politics?… Continue reading On community
Personal, Perceptible, Practical
Some time ago I learned about Susan Solomon, the atmospheric chemist who discovered that chlorofluorocarbons (a.k.a. CFCs) caused the huge hole in the ozone layer. Remember all that noise about this from the 90s? It went away because of Dr. Solomon. She received her PhD from UC Berkeley and she is currently still teaching and… Continue reading Personal, Perceptible, Practical
How I could be Republican
A year and a half ago I published a piece here describing why I'm a Democrat. It was a bit of a diatribe, really, and it railed against the California Republican Party's platform. I titled it "Why I'm not a Republican." A friend recently challenged me to take a different spin on this topic. Even… Continue reading How I could be Republican
My next 10 years
I started writing this post back in July 2019. Since 2020 is almost up, I figured now would be a good time to finish it. These past ten years have been all about myself: My education, my companies, my career, my health, and my family. The ten years before my 25th birthday I was more… Continue reading My next 10 years
How to bring more businesses to Contra Costa County
I recently joined the Business Advisory Board in Diablo Valley College's Business Administration department. I thought it sounded like not only a great way to volunteer, give back, and meet similarly-minded people in my community, but also I was simply impressed that DVC had this. What better way to prepare business students for the real… Continue reading How to bring more businesses to Contra Costa County
Some great advice about how to stand out in local politics
I recently drove out to Sacramento to try to see some old friends and public officials I know. The folks on my list were Assemblymembers Phil Ting, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, and Jesse Gabriel. I tried to track down Jason Elliott, my friend from grad school who is now Governor Newsom's Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary, but our… Continue reading Some great advice about how to stand out in local politics
The triumph and tragedy of Jose Antonio Vargas
For the last many years, my childhood friend, Jose Antonio Vargas (we just called him “Jose”) has been challenging documented and undocumented Americans alike to define what it means to be American. I decided to take him up on that question. How do I define American? It’s the freedom to struggle, and the freedom to… Continue reading The triumph and tragedy of Jose Antonio Vargas
The great 2018 Assembly District 16 debate
I watched this debate and came away very impressed by both the candidates and the moderators. The questions were direct, specific, and the candidates responded appropriately. Unlike most of our national debates, it was refreshing to watch this and actually learn something. For those who didn't have time to watch, I'll give the play-by-play below and my… Continue reading The great 2018 Assembly District 16 debate
Where’s the ‘alt-middle’?
It's election time now and all of the groups I follow are in full partisan campaign mode. The campaign rhetoric and arguments are tiring and the same. Gun control: public safety vs individual rightsLabor: union rights vs employer rightsEnvironment: nature vs jobsHousing: community control vs more development I have not been impressed by anyone running… Continue reading Where’s the ‘alt-middle’?