U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s travels normally take him to all corners of the globe, however this week he made the rounds in Silicon Valley. His itinerary included a go to to Utilized Supplies’ Maydan Know-how Middle, a state-of-the artwork semiconductor R&D lab in Sunnyvale.
CEO Gary Dickerson confirmed him round, and Blinken acquired to see a silicon wafer and work together with bunny-suited engineers. One of many technologists on the lab even gave Blinken the proper memento to take again to Washington, D.C. — a bit of pure silicon.
Peggy Marcucci, Utilized’s senior director of company communications, joked to the shocked diplomat, “Don’t fear, on this state it’s solely value about 50 cents so it’s effectively underneath the federal present restrict.”
The one higher memento could be a bunny swimsuit inscribed “I visited Silicon Valley, and I all I acquired was this awful bunny swimsuit.” So not less than he can show the silicon on his desk.
The remainder of Blinken’s journey included a cease at Stanford College, the place he had an on-stage dialog on the Hoover Establishment with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and likewise toured the SLAC Nationwide Accelerator Laboratory, the place he was joined by Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Anna Eshoo.
BOOS AND BOOZE: Historical past Park in San Jose is gearing up for spooky season, with the return of its Halloween Hang-out Gentle Present projected on the entrance of the Pacific Lodge constructing every evening for the final two weekends in October. And whereas that’s a family-friendly manufacturing, there’s a brand new draw for grown-ups, too: On Friday nights (Oct. 21 and Oct. 28), the 21-and-over crowd can take pleasure in “Slash & Sip,” partaking in a Halloween-themed cocktail, wine or beer whereas carving and adorning pumpkins after the final mild present begins.
The sunshine present runs 5:30 to eight p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, with meals vehicles on website and a singing pumpkin patch. On Sundays, households can participate in crafts and different actions whereas trick-or-treating at Historical past Park’s historic properties and duplicate buildings from 2:30 to five:30 p.m. Get extra data at www.historysanjose.org.
SPINNING A GOOD YARN: Greater than 320 volunteers spent Oct. 8 making wigs styled after Disney characters for teenagers battling most cancers and different medical hair loss for the Magic Yarn Challenge on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Saratoga. The beginner wigmakers — who acquired coaching the evening earlier than — have been a multigenerational crowd, with Woman Scout troops, dad and mom and children, and knitting teams working collectively in groups of two to provide 160 wigs.
DARK AND STORMY SIGHT: Barbara Day Turner will lead the San Jose Chamber Orchestra into the world of chamber opera this weekend because it presents “Ourland: A Dystopian State,” a social commentary a few younger man who lives in a rustic dominated by concern and suspicion of outsiders. If it sounds in any respect acquainted, that’s the purpose being made by Mexican-American composer Paul Davies and Argentine-American librettist Daniel Helfgot.
The 12-scene opera might be carried out at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23 at 3Below Theaters in downtown San Jose. Tickets are $65 to $75, with a $10 low cost for seniors 62 and up and a $15-$25 vary for viewers members who're 22 and youthful. Go to www.sjco.org for particulars.