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Know the truth about energy and the world

Lynnda and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last weekend. Effective and honest communication was one of the most important things we had to learn and develop. Trust is essential in any strong long-term relationship. We tell each other the truth ALL the TIME. Dishonestly of any kind is dangerous. A “white lie” is still a lie. We had a former daughter-law who lied to us about stupid minor things that made little difference like her running a half-marathon. When I asked the grandchildren, “How did Mom do in the race?” They responded, “What race?” When important ...

The changing ­— but always crucial — role of dads

The evidence suggests that a role of the father in the United States is changing and that the male parent can contribute much more to the child’s development during the first months of life than was formerly believed. At a Rotary meeting that I attended, a pediatrician doctor, who is very well known in the community for the numerous awards of studies in pediatrician medicine, stated that scientist have concluded that what happens in an infant’s life in the first 100 days affects how the child’s brain is developed. After the child’s brain has been formed it is almost never ...

A tragedy back home — the Shadyside flood

June 14, 1990, seemed like any other dreary day that week to me. It was a Thursday, and I was living in Fairborn, Ohio, attending college at Wright State University. It had been warm and muggy, and about an inch of rain fell there that day. Before going to bed that night, I flipped on the TV to check the 11 p.m. news and weather report. I was stunned at what I saw. The news was reporting that dozens of people were missing after flash flooding tore through a Belmont County community. Of course, being born and raised here, I was riveted. I soon learned that a couple of creeks I was ...

Whether it’s 50 years or 50 miles, the dream makes it happen

Lynnda and I enjoyed a second honeymoon last week in Florida at Disney World. We had a special dinner and viewed the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the top of the Contemporary Resort Hotel. Time flies. It doesn’t seem like we have been married 50 years this month. I asked Lynnda if she expected to make it to 50 years. Her answer was the same as mine. The only question was, would we still be alive. We both had bouts with cancer. Lynnda was in a serious car accident and broke her neck. From the beginning both of us intended to keep our vows, “Until death do we part.” We ...

Consumers shouldn’t subsidize the energy needs of data centers

Driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, U.S. electricity demand and electricity prices are rising rapidly. Dozens of new data centers—each with the electricity needs of a small city—are gobbling up the nation’s power supply. Forecasters see U.S. electricity demand growing 25% by 2030—and nearly 80% by 2050. In some regions of the country, it will be far more and even faster. The nation’s largest regional electricity grid, PJM Interconnection—which stretches from Virginia to Illinois—expects that, by 2030, new data center power ...

Fantasy is fun at Disney, but it’s not for leaders

Lynnda and I are married 50 years this month. We decided to do a second honeymoon this month at our Happy Place, Walt Disney World. Just us. No children or grandchildren on this trip. We have a special dinner planned for the California Grill atop the Contemporary Resort Hotel. Disney is a place for us to relax, play and use our imaginations. My favorite attraction is the Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In the attraction, you are a recruit for the resistance on a transport to a secret base. For me it’s fun to pretend this is real. Your ...