UC Merced will continue to be the economic engine for Merced County and surrounding areas and the Central Valley of California. It will diversify the economy and strengthen the economy and connect the region to the rest of the world.

Silicon Valley has become a clearinghouse, an intermediate station on the way to producing products, ideas and companies.

There has been a housing boom, but it is not a bubble. It is more like a soufflé with the air slowly leaking out.

San Francisco is coming back. Corporations are once again locating in The City and a rebound in Silicon Valley is helping the entire Bay Area. San Francisco's position as a gateway to Asia is also advantageous given the strength in the Asian economy.

I think the comic that's gotten me the most feedback is actually the one about the stoplights. Noticing when the stoplights are in sync, or calculating the length of your strides between floor tiles - normal people notice that kind of stuff, but a certain kind of person will do some calculations.

It is my conviction that marriage is such a good idea, only God could have thought of it.