Voted last week.....................

 

..........now please stop sending me robo-political texts.

Voting early is one of my favorite things to do.  Many people were in line with me, and many more were in the line as I was leaving, but the process only took about ten minutes.  The Licking County Board of Elections has their act together.  It is smooth, easy, and quick.  Do go vote.

On the importance........................

 

................of reading serious fiction:

As people skills decline in the workplace, they’ll have to be acquired elsewhere. Novels and plays can make a difference because their authors know well how subtle intangibles can reveal characters and signal rough or smooth patches. They know how to convey suspense, affection, fear, joy, and doubt. Their skills, in time, can become yours.

-------------------------

There is a wide range of fiction that can acquaint the people-phobic young, the ones who text-message instead of calling so they avoid the risk of having to speak with a person, with the complexity of brilliant and flawed people.

-Michael Wade, from this episode

and reality always intrudes.................

 

Planners, architects of city design, and those they have led along with them in their beliefs are not consciously disdainful of the importance of knowing how things work.  On the contrary, they have gone to great pains to learn what the saints and sages of modern orthodox planning have said about how cities ought to work and what ought to be good for people and businesses in them.  They take this with such devotion that when contradictory reality intrudes, they must shrug reality aside.

-Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life Of Great American Cities

Checking in..........................

............................with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr:

Most people are willing to take the Sermon on the Mount as a flag to sail under, but few will use it as a rudder by which to steer.

Greatness is not in where we stand but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it—but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

We should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe.

If I had a formula for bypassing trouble, I wouldn't pass it around. Wouldn't be doing anybody a favor. Trouble creates a capacity to handle it. I don't say embrace trouble. That's as bad as treating it as an enemy. But I do say, meet it as a friend, for you'll see a lot of it and had better be on speaking terms with it.

A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used.

I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy.

The man of action has the present, but the thinker controls the future.

Young man, the secret of my success is that at an early age I discovered that I was not God.

A man who called everyone a damn fool is like a man who damns the weather. He only shows that he is not adapted to his environment, not that the environment is wrong.

about that certainty................

 

     A trouble with a system of religious and moral teaching based on challenging the very idea of doctrine and authority was that it sowed the seeds of its own destruction.  It was a losing proposition to tell a bright nineteen-year-old that he must cultivated his own sense of reason and conscience, then punish him for "indecorum" and "disrespectfulness" when he did so.  Holmes's skepticism about human certainty would be powerfully reinforced in the cataclysmic events that were about to close in on him and his fellow members of the Class of 1861.

-Stephen Budiansky, Oliver Wendell Holmes: A Life in War, Law, and Ideas

Yes, but..................to data centers

 

Movements are afoot to stop the spread of data centers.  We hesitate to give advice, but there are certainly better alternatives to the “just say no” approach.

First of all, can we all agree that unless your intent is to roll back the internetization of things, data centers are somewhat of a necessity.  Reasonable people might agree that it is bizarre that household appliances are now designed to be connected to the internet, but unless we are willing to forsake our smart phones and the convenience of on-line shopping, we need data centers.

While “data center” may sound vaguely mysterious, they are really nothing by large warehouses filled with electronic equipment, i.e. computer servers.   It is helpful to remember that when we talk about stuff being in “the cloud” all we are talking about is your information being stored on other people’s servers – located in data centers.   The more that we rely on (or become addicted to) our smart phones and computers, the greater the necessity for the infrastructure to handle that usage – I. e. data centers.   The advent and growing sophistication and usage of AI has led to the explosive growth of that infrastructure.

Is that really such a bad thing?  The major objections to data centers seem to be their enormous demand on the electrical grids and municipal water supplies, and thus causing rates for us normal folk to spike.  Let us remember that our world evolves, and the data center industry is evolving rapidly.  Already they have figured out how to recycle the water they use, dramatically reducing their impact on municipal systems.  A whole new industry is developing to convert natural gas to electricity on a local level.  One thing Ohio has a lot of is excess natural gas.  Smart people have figured out the conversion of this excess gas into electric power on a site specific basis.  In other words, it is now possible for data centers to satisfy their power requirements without impacting the overall electrical grid.

Another significant objection to data centers could be best described as “opportunity costs”.    Data centers take up a lot of land generally zoned for industrial uses.  Industrial uses are important to communities because of the jobs they create, and the payroll taxes those jobs generate support municipalities.  While data centers create significant construction jobs, once up and running they are notorious for having very few employees.   This is a problem.  The City of Pataskala recently said no to a data center.   While we did not attend the public hearings, it is likely that this “opportunity cost” loss weighed heavily on Council’s decision.

The final negative to data centers seems to be that they are not always the best neighbors.

There are some benefits to the community from having a data center.  The biggest one being property taxes.  Here locally Microsoft has started construction of two data centers, both being located within the Lakewood School District.   Strategically trying to build local goodwill, Microsoft has declined the available property tax abatement.  That decision means that Lakewood Local School District will collect an estimated three million dollars per year in property taxes once the construction is completed.   That is a nice benefit.   We should also remember that Microsoft has pledged over thirty million dollars (combined) to Heath and Hebron for municipal infrastructure  improvements.  Another nice benefit.

So, back to the alternatives to “just say no”.   Why wouldn’t a municipality amend their zoning ordinance to make data centers permitted as “Conditional Uses”.   Let’s imagine some of those conditions:

1.      Set a maximum amount of kilowatts the facility could draw from the power grid on any given day.  Force the data center developer to create the required electricity without impacting the grid.

2.     Set a maximum amount of water the facility could draw from the public water system on any given day.  Force the data center developer to create a sophisticated recycling system for coolants.

3.     Disallow the facility from receiving any property tax abatements or other governmental incentives.  Force the data center owner to pay appropriate market rate property taxes.

4.     Most municipalities already have “impact fees” established for development.  Specify that new data centers shall pay significant “impact fees” to enhance local infrastructure.

5.     Establishment of significant separation distance from residentially zoned land along with mandated buffering from same.

6.     Establish an “average payroll tax per acre” that the municipality might expect from an industrial user.  Make approval of the data center subject to the data center operator committing to annual payments to the municipality that would mirror the anticipated payroll tax generated by the “average payroll tax per acre” metric.

 

It is clear, based on the way, way, way above market price data centers are willing to pay for land, that the data center business is very profitable.   Good for them.   Rather than “just say no,” wouldn’t it be a better decision to say “yes, but….”, and figure out ways in which the municipality, and its citizens, could share in the financial bounty?

One thing we should remember:   in their beginning, cell towers were unpopular with many people who had to look at them.  As cellular phones became ubiquitous, cell towers became so important that the government decreed that cell towers were like public utility lines and denied local zoning codes the ability to regulate them out of existence.   Like cell towers, data centers are taking on national importance.   If local governments get too heavy handed in saying “no” to data centers, it should not surprise us to see the federal government classify them similarly to cell towers, and deny local government the ability to say no.  Before we get that far, how about we ponder the possibilities of “ Yes, but…”.

this was first published in the September 2026 Shai-Hess Report

Gone, but not forgotten.....................

 

Dolly Parton (with Paul and Ringo).................Let It Be

Mini-sabbatical over...................?

 

After 15 years and more than 24,000 posts, a brief vacation from blogging was in order.  Needed a break and took one.  Guess we will see what happens next.

What we did on vacation: Part 1...........

 

Flew to Calgary from Columbus, Ohio (note to future self:  avoid O'Hare if at all possible), got on a coach and drove to Banff.  From Banff we went to Lake Louise.  At Lake Louise we boarded the Rocky Mountaineer and rode the rails to Kamloops and then on to Vancouver.   Other that a handful of people who shared our coach wearing buttons that said "I didn't vote for him" and two signs in Calgary, politics never intruded on our travels.  Blessed relief.   In case you were wondering, the Canadian Rockies and British Columbia are among the most beautiful places on earth.  A few snapshots:

Iconic Banff view

Not a shabby place to stay

Bow River Falls in Banff

Lake Louise

More Lake Louise

Even more Lake Louise

The right traveling partner is important

The Rocky Mountaineer arrives

Vacation, Part 2.........................

 

Spent the first week of October in Lake Keowee, South Carolina with twelve friends of fifty+ years. An amazing blessing.  Our fraternity pledge class in 1970 was 31-strong.   We had a more than a few leave us before graduation and at least four have died post-graduation.  We (averaging 12 attendees) have been gathering in the fall annually for the last 15 years.  My Sweetie, bless her soul, will not let me miss it.  As we age, hanging out with old friends has to be one of the most important, and joy-inspiring, parts of life.

I didn't go either...........

 

     Trudeau briefly worked for a Broadway producer, and when that project fizzled out, he volunteered to do some graphic art for the reelection campaign of the New York City mayor,  John Lindsay.  "I knew his nephew George from St. Paul's," he tells me.  "That summer is memorable for one thing I didn't do—drive up to Woodstock with everyone else in Lindsay's office.  I'd heard it was going to rain."

-Joshua Kendall, Trudeau and Doonesbury: A Biography:  The Cartoonist Who Turned The News Into Art

reversing........................

 

     Our world, and each of our lives, quite suddenly became overwhelming technocratic, sucking millions into the simulation.  Scientists like to say that human knowledge is doubling every twelve months.  That is explosive, exponential growth.  But let's clarify that:  Complicated knowledge is doubling every twelve months.  Complex knowledge, which must be lived in real time and can't be discovered or stored by computers, is not increasing at all.  This asymmetry explains why we're bombarded with ingenious solutions to age-old problems but never seem to make progress toward greater happiness.  In fact, it's the reverse:  We are losing our sense of life's meaning faster and faster.

-Arthur C. Brooks,  The Meaning of Your Life

decided............................

 

      The paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also of life.  Once the lave slows and cools, it solidifies and then breaks down over time to become soil—rich, fertile soil.

     She wasn't a black hole, she decided.  She was a volcano.  And like a volcano she couldn't run away from herself.  She'd have to stay there and tend to that wasteland.

     She could plant a forest inside herself.

-Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

thank you, David

heavy responsibility..................

 

The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp.  The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story.

-Ursula K. Le Guin

technically speaking....................

 

     As an adult, I'll have to come to comprehend the fact that the world, technically speaking, is too vast to be conveyed by language.  It's too grand and too horrific, to complex; too full of love and weather and brutality and governments and movies, to name the first phenomena that come to mind; too overwhelmed by its own history (The Great Vowel Shift! Shintoism! The invention of gunpowder and the printing press and electricity!), not to mention its hopes and fears for the future.

-Michael Cunningham, Unsayable: A Life in Writing

Life.....................

 

      Life, he decided, was never a question of accumulating material things, nor in the struggle for reputation, but in the widening and deepening of perception, increasing the sensitivity of the faculties, of an awareness of the world in which one lives.

-Louis L'Amour, Flint

Trying to learn......................

 

...............................something every day.

Vacation.......................

 

...............................appears to be over.

Good questions all...............

 

You only get one life and you’re going to burn the days either way, so the real question is: What excites you and interests you? What makes you feel curious and alive, perhaps even joyful? What is so "worth it" that you're not worried about the tradeoffs, the hard work, the hassle?

-James Clear, from here

a baseline.................

 

Best practices guarantee average performance. They are literally the prescriptions of others that limit variation and get you to a baseline of performance. Following them virtually ensures that you will be working harder and harder just to "keep up." To be the best, you have to do things that no one can prescribe.

-Shane Parrish, from here

Fun times in downtown Newark this evening.....

..................as thousands of folks lined the streets to meet and greet the Budweiser Clydesdales.

many thanks to Matesich Distributing

curve balls.....................

 

      This cartoon perfectly encapsulates the conflict that occupies nearly every financial decision you make in life.  The essence of successful investing, retirement planning and life in general is balance.  You have to plan for the future but live in the present.  You have to enjoy the moment but plan for old age.  You have to invest for the long run but survive the short run.  It's difficult to balance enjoying life now and ensuring you have the resources to enjoy life later.

     There is no ideal balance for everyone because we all have different goals, needs, resources, expectations, and desires.  The hardest part about planning for your financial future is the simple fact that you don't know what will happen.  No one has it all figured out because no one knows what various curve balls life is going to throw at them.  So you do the best you can.

-Ben Carlson, Risk & Reward: How to handle market volatility and build long-term wealth

On complexity and complications........

 

     One way to understand the numinous right hemisphere is that it manages life's complexity.  Complex challenges in life are easy to understand but impossible to solve, so they can only be lived and understood.  This is in contrast to the complicated parts of life (managed in the left hemisphere), which can be hard to understand but are solvable once and for all.

     Life is full of both kinds of challenges.  I need to understand others' emotions (a complex challenge), but I also need to make smart decisions, which in many cases means acting in spite of these emotions (a complicated challenge).

-Arthur C. Brooks, The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness

More things I never knew..............

 

     Many Frenchmen served in America during the Revolution.  There were more French combatants at Yorktown than Americans.*  Lafayette personified all his countrymen in the American mind because he had come early, before the formal alliance, and stayed late.  His French comrades were professionals and, to the extent they had opinions, realpolitikers, serving in obedience to orders and to advance French interests, Lafayette was a volunteer and an enthusiast.  He had the ability to engage and impress people, which might be called a talent if that did not suggest skill and practice, whereas with him the effect was as artless as his intentions were sincere.

-Richard Brookhiser, The Hero Returns: Lafayette and the Legacy of Revolution

*If one queries ChatGPT, one reads that the numbers of foot soldiers at Yorktown were fairly even between French and American (and, combined, significantly outnumbered the British).  When adding the number of French sailors, who blockaded the British and prevented their escape, then ChatGPT says the statistic is correct.

worthy......................

 

     After which, satisfied with the way in which he had conducted himself at Meung, without remorse for the past, confident in the present, and full of hope for the future, he retired to bed, and slept the sleep of the brave.

-Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers