• Big kahuna venture capitalists John Doerr and Vinod Khosla, Google co-founder Larry Page, Google CEO wife ("first lady"?) Wendy Schmidt, and eBay founder Jeff Skoll all donated money to promote Proposition 87 (which would add a tax to oil in California), embroiling them in an election-funding battle against oil companies and adding to a total $98 million combined war chest. [Mercury News]

T.J. Rodgers: Silicon chip mogul. Solar cell maker. Government grant receiver. Wait...that's where I've seen him!