Something I saw yesterday.

Yesterday, I toured the Stanford Linear Accelerator facilities. We saw the 2 mile building that goes under 280. It's been around for a while and a lot of cutting edge research has been done there. There have been a few Nobels as a result of the amazing things that they can do there. We got a sneak peak at their new toy. The linear accelerator is being re-tooled to do even more cutting edge science. They've got a new x-ray gun that goes into use in a couple weeks. It just looks like a copper tube that goes a few hundred meters, but there's a lot of thought that goes into it. The temperature needs to be controlled. And to fire these electrons with any velocity everything needs to be perfectly straight. They even need to account for the curve of the earth.

The new x-ray potentially allows them to do all kinds of neat things. They should be able to take pictures of chemical reactions on a molecular level. Things like watching how a catalytic converter actually works, or the exact mechanisms of a drug binding to a protein.

We had some excellent guides who should all be physics professors. This is a $400 million dollar investment from DOE, but it's the most cutting edge stuff in the world by a good distance. And from what I can tell, it's money well spent.

Class Warfare?

One proposal on the table to help pay for the new health plan is an additional tax on those who make a lot, be it $350k or $1m as the standard.

There is a counter argument that I really don't understand. Some are arguing that we can't implement any new tax on wealthier Americans because this is class warfare.

Let's put aside the point that these wealthier Americans have more and can give more. Let's put aside that they should probably want to contribute to the improvement of their country and their fellow citizens. Let's even put aside the argument that most of this country's economic and legal structures has been put in place to keep what they have in their hands.

Why is this class warfare? If anything, I would think knowing that wealthier Americans would put in a bigger share would foster better relations between the haves and have-nots. It would actually reduce the argument for a true class revolution.

I'm just saying. I think it's a pretty dumb argument.

Where he born?

There really is no credible evidence that Obama was not born in the U.S. The right wing nut jobs have nothing behind them but wishful thinking and a couple quotes from some Kenyans claiming Obama as an African, (but in the larger sense.)

Well, the sad truth of the matter is that there is always going to be some small segment of the population insistent that every conspiracy theory is true. I'm thinking of the exterminator buddy on King of the Hill. (Gribble?) And some sense that O must have been born somewhere else because he doesn't look like me or anyone I know. That's it.

This continued charade might just be another example of the disintergration of the Republican brand.

5 ways to say you're kid is flunking out of pre-school

1. We're not sure this is the right environment for her.

2. You might want to consider a different school with a lower student to teacher ratio.

3. One on one she's fine, but she seems overwhelmed when there are other kids around.

4. She's not eating anything and she cries uncontrollably.

5. Can you come pick her up now?

Another issue with California.

The governor appears content to never get a budget done and blame the welfare cheats for why it can happen. We should cut the budget, because there is someone out there getting a dollar for not doing anything. (Ironic, isn't it?) Straight out of a very old playbook, but it's still effective.

Okay, the rules say you need 2/3 of the legislature to approve a budget. Some of you might be thinking, so let's kick a couple of these bums out of office and we can get to 2/3. That should solve our problem.

Well, that's not really going to happen and here's the reason why? State legislature draw up the voting districts. And they've drawn in up so that everyone in the legislature has a "safe" seat. So even if state senator A gets caught with his pants down, he's still going to get replaced with someone from the same party.

so we're never going to 2/3 and we're really functioning in a perverted form of democracy. individual choice on representation means very little.

i don't know when this gerrymandering thing gets solved, and it probably takes years, but maybe it still happens before California gets a functional budget in place.

School Transition blues.

So J has not been loving the new experience of pre-school. Every morning she throws a fit. On some days she's refused to eat, drink or sleep. And even at home she's not quite herself. I think she's still processing what this new change means. Hopefully, she'll get over it soon. I know it's rough, but it needs to be done.

My transition has been a little easier. Pick up and drop off hasn't been bag. But every day I've been checking her folder. More often than not, there's artwork from the little Picasso. I'm trying to figure out what to do with these works. Do I put them off in the office? Do I put them up in the house? Do I send a couple to Grandmas & Grandpas, so every one can share in the fun? E-bay?

When she's a rich and famous artist some day and these early works will go for a very high price. Get in early and I might be able to get you a discount.

What I did on my day off.

So Wifey's parents agreed to babysit yesterday. We left at 2 in the afternoon and didn't get home until 11 at night. This was the longest time for us away from the kids together since we've had two. In other words it was a much needed break. I guess we really couldn't tell until we were away from it for a while, but our home life really has been about being waiter/butler/servant to our kids. Whatever they need, they get. I didn't really how much I was doing until I got away from it for a few hours.

So what we did was drive up to San Francisco. We found a parking spot within view of AT & T park. We hung out for a bit, went to a cafe, and then went to the game. We were there pretty early, so we walked most of the park. In a lot of ways its a great place to walk around. We got club level seats so we had an indoor walkway to walk around and get food. And even though it was only over priced stadium food, it was good just to eat without the kids.

The game itself was nothing special. The Giants started a rookie in his second game, and he still hasn't given up a run at the major league level. He coasted and the final score was 13-0. So it was never in doubt. But after Wifey made me leave a baseball game where a team was down 5-0 in the ninth and came back to win it, we don't leave games early anymore. We sort of left, just as the fireworks were going off. It was nice.

Anyway, I am very thankful to my in-laws for watching the kids. I know it's not an easy task, and from what I hear, there were some poo adventures that no one really needs described to them. Just know that it was bad.

Preschool Blues

Just real quickly, I appreciate Michael Jackson's talent and his failings as a human being. Enough already.

I've been thinking, one of the reasons people have kids is to extend beyond themselves. In some ways you get to see somethings through a fresh set of eyes. Or at least think about how someone a lot smaller might see the world. I see Little J, and I want to see the world as she does. I don't mean the poor eye sight, but I can't remember what it's like to see everything fresh for the first time, and I sort of wish I did.

Today was her first day of pre school. I wished I could be with her all day. Partially to make sure that she was safe, but also just to really know what it was like for her. I know she attempted something like art today, but I don't know what it was or how it turned out.

I know I can't always be there. And this is just the first of many steps. But it isn't that easy to let go.