Writing an article for the Section/Division Report is akin to being a journalist, I guess, but I truly hope that the text of my articles never contains too many "what-ifs" and "maybes". When we watch the news on television or read a newspaper these days, we are confronted with all kinds of gloom and doom, 18-wheeler wrecks on the freeways, the Dow was down 200 points, and students are failing the TAAS. What a way to end a day for the typical resident of our fair city.

Do you remember headlines and new releases like that? The "talking heads" and the print journalists had all of rethinking our plans for that drive to Grandma's house. "Where on earth will we get the money to buy gas for the trip?" we asked ourselves. So, what happened? Just as usual, the refineries across this country went into high gear and produced enough motor fuel to get all of us where we were going, and it sold at a rate which most of us could afford. And the price is headed downward perhaps to a new seasonal low expected around Labor Day? Now, does anybody want to speculate if there will be a shortage of fuel oil in the Northeast just about Thanksgiving and just in time for the coming winter weather? Maybe we need to get the members of the Chemical and Petroleum Industries Division, Chempid, to give a supply and demand course to the members of the media. It couldn't hurt!

You just can't go through a day without hearing or reading about the "blackouts" being experienced in the western states. Now it seems that the price controls put in place in June have had the "perverse effect of reducing supplies when they were needed the most". As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Surprise, surprise". Gosh, where do they get these folks who are spokespersons for the Public Utilities Commissions, from Disneyland or some other surreal place? And, I guess that the power companies are right there with the PUC's, making statements that, to a power engineer, say an active member of the Power Industries Division, POWID, would seem pretty, let's say dumb, for the lack of a better word. A recent article noted that one of the utilities' demands peaked at nearly a gigawatt more than at the start of the month. The spokesperson chalked that up to "about a third of that increase was a result of higher temperatures, and a third a product of population growth. The other third,--- is a puzzle, but it does not appear that it will just go away". A puzzle? Does electricity disappear just like some of my E-mails, lost in hyperspace? And, I would really doubt that the population of the state of Nevada would have increased by 9.8% in a month, but the writer would have you believe that statistic. And what is it that is said about statistics? "Statistics don't lie, Liars use statistics!"

Well now, looking back at this report, it seems like I may have strayed form my appointed task, but then since I have "poetic license" so to speak, it is okay. That is, it is okay as long as you are still reading and this article may have sparked an interest in any of the twenty Divisions of the Society. So, for more information drop me or Bob Hubby a line and we'll let you know everything about your renewed interest in Divisions.

L.M."Dutch" Keen, P.E.

Section/Division Liaison