What Am I Working On

As has become my custom every three months, here's what I'm working on now at work. I won't repeat anything from last time that I happen to still be working on, and for confidentiality's sake I have to blur some of the details for some of these studies.


Estimating the economic impact of a big event that takes place every year in Philadelphia.


Estimating the impact of a proposed hospital expansion on its immediate neighborhood.


Articulating the impacts of an institution of higher learning that is seeking university status.

Calculating the job and tax revenue impacts of a number of proposed projects that are seeking state funding.

Quantifying the size of the commercial building industry in a major metropolitan area.



Comparing a tourism destination's previous projections of economic impact against present and future trends.

Evaluating two potential sstate-level surcharges being proposed to raise funds for a recently implemented economic development program.

Comparing a tax policy change being proposed in one city with its effects on other cities that have recently enacted such a change.

Articulating the benefits associated with the preservation of a beloved piece of open space in a suburban township.

Performing a cost-benefit analysis on a set of stormwater management plan alternatives.

Critiquing an economic analysis that was written in support of a proposed office and hotel project seeking federal funding.



Updating a past study on the economic impact of an industry for its state association.


Developing a set of metrics for monitoring neighborhood change.

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Multi-Layered, Multi-Playered

A highlight of my first class at Penn was a lively discussion we had about some contemporary issues that everyone is buzzing about, namely: (1) education funding, (2) Marcellus Shale, and (3) casinos and stadiums as economic development drivers.  From the impassioned comments, groans, and facial expressions I could tell people had strong opinions about these topics, and so it was fascinating to explore together just how complex, multi-layered, and multi-playered these subjects are.

I was quick to note that in some countries, there isn't anything complex, multi-layered, and multi-playered about big things like this: one person or group just decides, and that's that.  Not so in our country, in which so many actors are involved in making any big decision about public resources, public land, or public policies, and each actor in turn is influenced by a myriad of factors (one of which, I hope, is quantitative analysis, the topic of my class!).

I will say this: however much we may complain at the dysfunction in the way we make big public decisions, I vastly prefer this way to another, more centralized way.  At the least, it makes for more interesting classroom discussion on a Saturday morning on a beautiful May day.

I'm Glad My Kids Feel Normal

Three cheers for Sarah Mitteldorf, a Chinese adoptee who has written "Many Ways," a play that explores the perspectives of Chinese adoptees that was performed this past weekend at Asian Arts Initiative.  The biggest bulge of Chinese adoptees are between the ages of 9 and 12, the girls featured in Mitteldorf's play, and Mitteldorf herself, who is 27, and Mitteldorf's play has given a creative voice for some of their experiences.

It's still early for Jada, who is 8, but I wonder if her intersection with this issue of her being adopted from China will be decidedly less dramatic.  Unlike many of her fellow adoptees, she was adopted into a family that included someone who looks like her.  Also, unlike many of her fellow adoptees, she was adopted into a community that is very racially diverse. 

To be sure, a lot of the uniqueness of the Chinese adoptive experience is the "from" part: where she came from, who were her birth parents, what of the Chinese culture is meaningful for her.  But a lot of the uniqueness is from the "to" part: Asian-looking kids with non-Asian names and non-Asian parents living in largely non-Asian communities. 

To Jada, being adopted from China is . . . normal.  The "from" part is a unique aspect of her origins, but otherwise registers no mystique or strangeness from her or her friends.  And the "to" part is also decidedly normal; in a sense there is normal among her friends, since there is such diversity in race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, and family structure. 

It's one of the perks of living in a big, cosmopolitan city.  Not that cities are inherently better than suburbs: no place is devoid of the really bad things that negatively impact kids, like divorce and abuse and addiction and racism.  But for a family that includes adoptive kids, the fact that there is no normal against which their faces and stories stick out like a sore thumb, it helps them to feel normal and I think that's a good thing for them.

Follow My Class on Social Media

Tomorrow is the first day of my Quantitative Tools for Consulting class.  I'll miss having Saturday mornings free (I'll lose Friday nights as well, between grading homeworks, getting lectures ready, and making sure I get my zzz's) but I'm excited as well, because it's really fun to teach and to be in a classroom setting.  I happen to enjoy the subject matter also, so it will be fun to talk about it as well as learn from my students.

If you want to get a look-in on what we're up to, I encourage you to follow us on social media.  I've decided that part of the course expectation will be to contribute weekly to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages I've set up for the class.  In typical Fels fashion, I want to tie what we're learning in the classroom with what's actually going on in the real world, and so each week students will have to find a report or article that relates to that week's subject and post it onto our social media presences. 

If you want to follow us, here are the links.  I'll probably contribute as well, so you can look for my posts which are hashtagged #LH. 

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Kareem Says Watch More TV, and He Might Just Be Right

There are many ways to describe Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  Tall.  All-time leading scorer.  NBA champion.  Starred in the movie Airplane!  Funny goggles. 

He's also a pretty deep thinker.  So it was with great interest that I read "Life Lessons with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" at Esquire.com.  A lot of these were unsurprising although no less profound and arresting.  But one made me think in a good way:

18. Watch more TV. Yeah, you heard right, Little Kareem. It’s great that you always have your nose in history books. That’s made you more knowledgeable about your past and it has put the present in context. But pop culture is history in the making and watching some of the popular shows of each era reveals a lot about the average person, while history books often dwell on the powerful people.

Especially since the beginning of the year, when I took on more responsibilities at work, I have had even less time for TV.  The only TV I watch is about 60-70 games total per year between basketball, baseball, and football, and none of those are watched live, but rather the next morning while frantically fast-forwarding to compress a 3 1/2 hour event into 30 minutes.  Also, Amy and I will Netflix our way through some past season of a show like Criminal Minds or Dexter; again, not anywhere close to live, and thus nowhere close to when the rest of the world is watching.

Per Kareem, there's something to be said about consuming pop culture at the moment it is being broadcast.  It is like watching history in the making.  And, importantly, it can be talked about the next morning around the water cooler, at the gym, and on the bus.  

And that's the part I think I'm missing.  If I want to be influential for the Kingdom of God, I can't be secluded from what's on the mind of my co-workers, neighbors, and friends.  I can't cycle furiously between work, chores, kids, and sleep.  I have to interact with people, taking in a ballgame while it's being played rather than 12 hours later, or dishing about a show the morning after instead of catching up on it several years later.  

To be sure, TV can be a huge waste of time and a huge suck on one's soul.  Many people would do well to watch less of it and spend less time thinking and talking about it.  But that doesn't mean it has zero redeeming qualities to it.  Sports are a great way to break the ice with a stranger or a friend.  And yukking it up or going on a rant about last night's juicy episode is a fantastic way to delve into much deeper issues with the people around us.  

May has been a crazy month for me so far, and it doesn't appear to be abating any time soon.  But if you see me catching the NBA playoffs at a nearby bar or suddenly being conversant on what's what with Scandal, now you'll know how I did it and why. 

Join our Community Association for Free

The membership committee of the community association I am on the board of decided to do something crazy to encourage people to join the association and get involved with us: offer memberships for free.  No strings attached.  Yes, "free" is the best price point of them all.  See the blurb below for more info on what we're about and how you can join.



Spruce Hill Community Association - become a member... FOR FREE!

For a limited time, Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) is offering new members the first year of membership FOR FREE! 

SHCA is dedicated to serving the community, and we want you to get involved with us.  We work on issues that matter - education, zoning, clean-ups, neighborhood plans, public safety.  We put on great events like the annual May Fair and the Halloween Parade.  And our communications keep members in the loop about community news and events.  To be a member for absolutely free for one year - no strings attached - email Richard Guffanti at RichGuffanti (at) yahoo.com with your name, address, and cell and home phones.  We look forward to having you join us!