Not long ago, I wrote a blog entitled "Where the Brains Are". It summarized an article I had read that proposed that there is a direct connection between the education level of the people who live in a community and the cost of housing there.

Many of you know that Palo Alto sits right on the border of Stanford University, and the two communities are intimately connected. One of the reasons for the success, even the existence, of Silicon Valley, as the area is commonly known, is due to the Stanford presence. It is one of the most distinguished universities in the country, with strong and well respected programs in a number of fields. There is always a friendly rivalry between Stanford and Cal, or Stanford and Harvard, as to which university has the most Nobel Prize winners. Stanford students have founded some of the most successful businesses in our country, starting with HP and extending more recently to Yahoo and now Google. There are many more in between. Forget the fantastic weather and the nearby ocean and mountains. People want to be here because there is so much going on, and there are so many opportunities.

Now it is time for me to brag a little. This past week, Stanford faculty member Roger Kornberg was named the Nobel Prize winner for chemistry this year. And I want to congratulate Roger with all my heart. You see, I worked for Roger, in his lab, for a number of years before becoming a real estate agent. This could not have happened to a nicer person. And I could not imagine a more deserving recipient. Roger's research has been brilliant, and he has pursued his goals doggedly for many, many years, in order to achieve great success. Roger, congratulations from one very proud past employee.