Huang Family Newsletter, June 2010

Kids - Didn't know you could fit this much fun into one month. Jada had birthday parties at the FunPlex and the Germantown Cricket Club; they beat the summer heat at the local swim club and in the kiddie pool on our back deck; and they enjoyed outings to the Franklin Institute, Winterthur Museum and Garden, Reading Terminal Market, Chinatown, and the Gallery Mall. We also celebrated Aaron's Gotcha Day, their cousin Nathan's first birthday, and Father's Day, and had our church small group over for a party at our house (five families, eight adults, 11 kids!).

Adults - Amy sustained a high ankle sprain while running, and has spent most of the month in a protective boot, but keeps on with parenting, gardening, and house to-do's. Lee's chugging away with a growing list of projects at work, and was glad to see lots of family in town for his cousin's wedding in Delaware.

Things You Can Do in the City without a Car: the June 2010 Edition

You may think that me doing the following things sans car is crazy. Well I say firing up a two-ton steel box with enough horses to go 100+ mph to do these things is crazy.

* Appear on a radio show in the suburbs

* Attend conferences at two major universities

* Take Jada to two block parties

* Move a three-piece sofa set

* Go to church

* Have dim sum in Chinatown

* Get to work

* Take the kids to school

* Meet a friend for coffee

* Go out to dinner as a family

* Drop off and pick up dry cleaning

* Pick up prescription drugs

* Go to museums downtown

* Attend Jada's parent-teacher conference

* Drop off a package at the UPS Store

* Go to a swim party in Germantown

* Give a presentation in North Philadelphia

* Tool around Reading Terminal Market, Chinatown, and the Gallery Mall with the kids

* Go to the local swim club with friends

* Have 10+ meetings downtown

Guest Post By Alexia Krause: Mixed Martial Arts May be the Key to Saving the New York State Budget

I know absolutely nothing about MMA or about New York State law, but was sent this article by a fellow blogger who requested I post her article on how legalizing MMA could be good for the Empire State's finances. I have read it and am intrigued by the topic and by her positions, but obviously please do not construe my reposting her words in this space as representing any sort of endorsement or affiliation on my part. Give it a read yourself, and post a comment if you have any reaction.

***

Mixed Martial Arts May be the Key to Saving the New York State Budget
by Alexia Krause

With the New York state deficit hitting $8 billion, steps need to be taken in order to right the ship that is the state's budget. Recently New York Gov. David Paterson stated that the projected deficit for the upcoming fiscal year has grown an additional $750 million. There's no doubting that the Empire State is in dire straits trying to fix their deficit. It is extremely difficult trying to balance a state budget at a time when the country as a whole is going through some of its most difficult economic hurdles in recent history. This forces us to take a fresh look at which programs will continue to receive funding. As a result, the state has been forced to cut, reject, and outright shut down many state programs and projects in order to make some type of movement out of the red and back into the black. Many of these budget cuts (like closing down state parks and cutting funding to public schools) were rampant and have cast an unfavorable light on politicians in Albany in the eyes of many New Yorkers. However, something must be done in order to fight the ailing state economy. As coincidence has it, a good fight might just be the answer to the budget problems.

On June 16th, the New York State Senate passed a bill to legalize MMA in the state in an effort to help amend the state's financial problems. Opening the floodgates for MMA in New York would be more of a benefit to the state than it would to the MMA Industry. For years, promoters have happily held venues in nearby New Jersey. Mixed martial arts competitions like UFC among others have been banned in the state because many lawmakers felt it was too brutal of a sport (even though other legal sports like football and hockey can be just as- if not more- brutal). With the passing of this new bill, fans will finally be able to support their home state and local venues. MMA events would potentially have access to one of the most active metropolises in the world- New York City. There are dozens of great venues surrounding the state who have been capitalizing on this opportunity for years. At the UFC's most recent event held in New Jersey, there were more New York residents in attendance than NJ natives. Fortunately state legislators have finally come to the realization that legalizing MMA will open access to a new revenue stream that it gravely needs.

By welcoming MMA in the state, as much as $11 million in economic activity could be generated for each event held. This activity ranges from salaries paid to venue workers, to an increased interest in martial arts training academies and dojos, to tourism dollars spent in the surrounding area. At every step of the way, tax revenue is generated. The MMA organization UFC (who would play a large role in scheduling events in the state) is broadcasted in over 170 countries, made 5.1 million in Pay-Per-View sales in 2007 alone, and averaged 30.6 million viewers in that same year. This type of outreach is bound to benefit the state and bring thousands to events, thus helping the economies of struggling New York state cities.

Holding events isn't the only way that this bill will help bring money to the state of New York. In fact, the broad reach of allowing MMA to be legalized is something that will affect participants in the sport from top to bottom. For example, people who run mixed martial training gyms and programs will see a huge revenue generating boost in enrollment that will give many the chance to train and compete in their home state. This bill may even have the effect of preventing violence instead of causing it (which opponents of the bill argue) because it will allow many kids to go someplace safe after school. Studies have shown that when at-risk children are trained by mentors in a disciplined sport such as MMA, they are less likely to become involved in criminal activities. This is one of the most important aspects of the bill from a human perspective, and one of the greatest reasons why this bill needs to be passed.

Every once in a while, a sport can transcend its origins and become a true cultural phenomenon. This is what MMA could be for the state of New York and that is precisely why this bill needs to be passed. The New York budget is going through one of its worst economic times ever, but by legalizing MMA, it can help to fight back against the deficit and make a difference in the lives of millions of New Yorkers.

Alexia is a lifelong fan of sports and fitness. Recently, she's been obsessed with MMA. As a result, she has joined forces with MMA Industries- purveyors of widely popular MMA shirts and gloves. Alexia has been writing about the latest developments in MMA training equipment for the past few years, and continues to bring you the latest news in the mixed martial arts world.

Lazy Linking, Sixteenth in an Occasional Series

Here's what I liked on the Internets this week:

* Fast Company scoops the new segment of High Line Park in Manhattan. Love the "flyover" concept.

* Megan McArdle is right - I would be happy to write an op-ed for the Times for free.

* Keith Hennessey says Rahm Emanuel is lying when he tries to sling mud on the Bushies for their role in the auto bailout.

* Looking for planning solutions that de-emphasize car travel and re-exalt the pedestrian? Try classics that were written before cars were king.

* Obama made the right move, and McChrystal should've known better, but David Brooks is right - this incident isn't doing wonders for encouraging more good people to go into public service.

* In case you were wondering if pricing carbon correctly is still political suicide, check out what happened in Australia.

* Finally some love for the dads - all the momcentrism of baby media and products is a bit insulting.

* This map is cool - one thing it can tell me is that there were 58 more people who moved from Santa Clara County (where my parents live) to Philadelphia County (where I live) than vice versa, and that those who went east were making twice as much as those who went west.

* David Frum is sour on green jobs, and wants the Class of 2010 to know it.

* Lastly, how about some love for my firm, which is tapping into its networks to grow in the midst of a choppy economy.

Can You Stand the Rain

Way back when I was 19, I led my first Bible study, in a dormitory on the Penn campus under the supervision of my InterVarsity staffer Dave Lamb. It was on Jesus' story of building on rock versus building on sand, from the sixth chapter of the gospel according to Luke. I've led dozens of studies since then, but the first always tends to stick in your head, and that has been the case with me. This notion of building on rock and not on sand - it's harder work at first, but it's worth it in the end, if you believe that storms will eventually come, and of course they will - has been a foundational truth for me to go back to over and over again. As has a similar analogy from nature, that of the importance of roots: if you want to grow higher and bear more fruit, dig deeper.

So I could not help but call that to mind in the midst of the Philadelphia area's recent storm. I was on a deadline so did not stop long to observe the storm in action; in fact, a colleague of mine had to gesture to me and point out the window before I even looked, I was so locked in to my task at hand. But even a quick glance left an impact: hard rain, howling winds, and darkness everywhere in the middle of the day. In retrospect, I wish I would taken more than ten seconds to take it all in.

What I did take in more thoroughly was the storm's aftermath. Riding Aaron home on my bicycle later that day, and going for a run yesterday morning, I came across branches of all sizes hewn all over the place. A very stout tree was snapped in half like a toothpick. An entire street width was rendered impassable by trees on both sides having shed countless branches. I could not help but think of two thick branches I had yanked off the tree right in front of my house several months ago, after they had partially broken off after the last big storm; if I had not yanked them off myself and brought them safely to the ground, they would have easily come off during this storm, and landed right on top of our car.

The notion of "survival of the fittest" is incongruous with the Christian faith. Any belief system that holds fast to the notion that God is so strong that He can and routinely does do mighty things through the weakest of His members cannot agree with the sentiment of culling the weakest from among us. The Bible, church history, and our lives are testament to God's frequent shaming of the strong and exalting of the weak.

And yet, for the individual and for the group, there is a very real way in which we must strive, with God's help and for His glory, to be more strongly rooted and to identify and deal with our weak parts. For storms will come, and weak trees and weak parts of trees will not last. Life will sift, shake, and even strike us. Will we be lost among the wreckage? Or will we be like the centuries-old yellowwood in Bartram's Garden, which was directly hit, significantly damaged, but sturdy enough that it will once again grow to its former heights?

Sometimes even the weakest of trees can last if it is hit by only weak storms, and sometimes even the weakest of storms fells it if it is weak enough. Conversely, sometimes even the strongest of trees cannot last if it is directly hit by a mighty storm, and sometimes even the mightiest of storms cannot fell it if it is strong enough. It can all seem so capricious. Yes, I believe in the sovereignty of God over all storms, natural and metaphorical. But I do not claim to know His ways or reasons.

What I do know is that, however hard or unsexy it is to develop rootedness, it is the wise approach and the right thing to do. Investing the time and effort to build a house on rock and not sand, to cultivate deep roots, to prepare oneself spiritually for life's great storms: these are all things worth doing. In every way, may the carnage of past storms remind us to prepare for the next one.

I leave you with wise words from the boys from Roxbury, none other than 1980's R&B group New Edition. This is from "Can You Stand the Rain."

On a perfect day I know that I can count on you
When that's not possible, tell me can you weather the storm
Cause I need some body who will stand by me
Through the good times and bad times she will always, always be right there

Sunny days, everybody loves them
Tell me baby, can you stand the rain
Storms will come, this we know for sure
Can you stand the rain

No Money, No Problem

Forgive me if I've blogged about this before, but having no money is a great way to learn how to run a great organization. I recall a leadership class I took in grad school in which one of the readings' main points was that the best way to motivate your employees was to treat them like volunteers, in terms of figuring out non-monetary forms of compensation. I was spouting off some things I had learned in my workplace, and when my classmates wondered how it is I came to such ideas, I stated plainly, "well, in my case, a lot of my employees ARE volunteers."

This is the premise behind Nancy Lublin's latest book, which is profiled in this month's Fast Company. The excerpt from Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business is a bit patronizing of for-profit companies - let's tone down the "aren't we non-profiteers so much more creative and noble than our stuffy for-profit counterparts,"shall we? But the premise is good: as in life, the best things in business are free. Win-win partnerships, guerrilla marketing, finding cause-oriented people and giving them room to bleed for you: these are all good strategies, whether or not they are necessitated by having no resources. It was fun to put them into motion at my old job, and it is fun to see them recommended by a star like Lublin for companies of all sizes and types.

As I spend more time looking at the public sector, I wonder if many of these principles may also apply there. Might the recent fiscal crunch faced by our states and cities be seen as an opportunity to practice what Lublin is preaching? Can we get off the topic of wheezing about having no money, and marshal that psychic energy towards figuring out how we're going to do more with less? Is it possible that not being able to count on public resources might be a good thing if it encourages leanness, innovation, and partnership among people and institutions that intersect with the public sector? Perhaps having no money and instead having to make your agency a great place to work could lead to the government sector tapping into young people's innate urge to make a difference and render good public service?

It's more complicated than that, of course. But the sentiment is, I think, sound. The greatest management lessons I've learned in life have been at a non-profit that didn't have much money, and the greatest learning moments during that time were when we had the least money. Maybe this recession and its consequences on the public sector have been painful; but maybe we can make the most of it and develop some good habits that ought to continue even if the resources return.

You Can Learn A Lot from Gardening

Ankle boot and all, my wife continues to tend her beloved front lot garden. From her I have learned a gardening tip or three, and marvel at how rich are the lessons for life and faith. Consider these three:

1. Soil matters. Tilling is hard work, and good mulch is pricey, and neither are very sexy, but they make all the difference. How often do we bristle at tilling God is doing in our lives; "get on with the buds and blooms," we protest, "for what good could breaking up rocks and piling on manure do?" Ah, He knows better.

2. Tend to the roots. Tempting as it is to spritz the leaves and flowers to give them that attractive sheen, where the water actually needs to go is to the roots. How often do we fixate on what others can see on the outside, instead of hankering down and tending to the unseen foundations from which it all emerges?

3. Prune at forks. Where stems diverge, one should prune at the base of one side, so that nutrients can flow more focusedly to the other. And so should we be mindful to not just to cosmetic trims, but deeper ones so that we can pour out our resources into the avenues that remain.

I'm sure there are more life lessons to be had in the garden bed. These are three that easily come to mind. Would that we take them to heart, that our lives would yield results as pretty as my wife's garden.

Battle-Ready

In order of how much our sensibilities might be offended, it would go something like this: 1) soldier who disobeys orders to rest when offered rest, 2) soldier who is found lollygagging while on active duty, 3) soldier who actively works against the mission of his or her unit. Yet what might be most egregious of all is a soldier who acts us though he is a civilian, somehow ignorant to the fact that in fact he is in the middle of a war and ought to be in uniform and at the ready.

Whether it is my innate ambitions, my immigrant and upper-middle-class upbringings, or the common mores of American society, I am constantly tempted to forget that I am not a civilian but am in fact a soldier in a great war for souls. And I am not alone in my wandering. Evoking the words of God in the book of Ezekiel, I wonder if the Almighty is searching in vain for someone to "stand in the gap" for the sake of His name, His kingdom, and His values.

He will find many of us who pay lip service to Him, who may even draw the admiration of the world around us for good deeds and overall righteousness, but who are far too often detained by the routine pulls of life: advancing in our careers, striving for our kids to do well in school, having a good laugh with friends and family over the whatever happens to pass for the entertainment du jour. We go through the motions of good moral behavior and church attendance, but our actions and attitudes are of civilians or of off-duty personnel, not those of soldiers in the thick of combat.

And what is this war I speak of? Is it a jihad of militant proselytizing and converting? Is it the culture wars? Is it tarring certain sides of debates and certain types of people with the staining brush of villainness and then spewing vitriol about them? To define the battles in this way is a sure way to give oneself a false sense of devotion and bravery and rightness.

Consider instead Jesus, the supposed manifestation of God in human body. Note that He did not pull punches with the hypocritical religious establishment. He was purposeful in who He sought out and was sure to make every interaction a fork in the road for those He encountered. He called a spade a spade, but instead of making the smug feel smugger and the downtrodden more downtrodden, He did the reverse.

Ultimately, His fight was won at the very beginning and at the very end. Upon being baptized by John the Baptist and proclaimed by God "my Son, who I love; with You I am well-pleased," He was thrust into the wilderness and into hunger and solitude. The devil tempted Him with a shortcut to glory. Jesus turned Him away.

Jesus would be tormented again, on the cross. Again He did not shrink away from that which He was tasked to do. The writer of the book of Colossians calls the moment of Jesus hanging on a cross, the humiliated victim of a perverse Roman torture, the very moment in which He was parading in victory over dark forces and demonic authorities. Unlike all of us most of the time, and most of us all of the time, Jesus was singularly focused on His mission; in His case, His mission, His fight, His victory, was in dying.

What about us? Are we ready to fight, or have we checked out of the battle? Are we ready to die, or are we conveniently avoiding the subject lest we become paralyzed by its fearful finality? When we rest, is it the rest of the soldier commanded to have down time to be refreshed for further deployment, or is it the entitlement of the civilian oblivious to the war raging all around? When we strive, is it the striving of one asked to sublimate himself to contribute to a great cause, or is it the pursuit of selfish gain and personal acknowledgment?

Let there be no doubt that, swirling around us, are great harm and greater harmers. We can be gripped with fear by them and live impotent lives, denying our Maker the glory of doing mighty deeds through even us. We can buffer ourselves from the sharpness of life, only to be ashamed when we are asked at the end to give an account for whether we stood up to evil when given the chance and can only sheepishly reply that we ran and hid. Or, we can, being careful to put on courage and peace and hope and love as provided to us by a great God, strike a decisive blow against the evil one and for the side of good, and one day join with fellow soldiers in a parade far more glorious than we can even imagine, following in step behind One who once went before us and who now is far more glorious than we can even imagine.

It is promised that that victory and parade will come one day. Saints and soldiers for centuries have been sustained, in the midst of the fights of their lives against forces seen and unseen, by that promise. Let us claim it anew, shedding our drowsy existences, and being activated for a great work by a great God.

Lazy Linking, Fifteenth in an Occasional Series

* So bridging the digital divide is more than just access, it's also education and environment? Duh.

* This is what I worry about for Gen Y and Gen Z: that they don't know how to really think.

* A great example of unintended consequences: the New York state government trying to help nannies is almost certainly going to hurt them in the aggregate.

* Keith Hennessey and Stephen Landsburg both take on Paul Krugman's assertion that another round of stimulus would be cheap to do.

* From the land of cars and highways we are starting to hear more talk about transit, which has to be a good sign.

* This and this pretty much sum up my thin-slice take on Obama's energy speech.

* Meanwhile, can the Gulf spill catapault us to sound energy policy? Not if politicians continue to act like politicians in terms of their aversion to a straight-forward carbon tax.

* A nice Freakonmics Q&A with Matt Ridley, author of "The Rational Optimist" and the coiner of the delicious phrase about "ideas having sex."

* Bodine High School has always been high on my list of places I could see myself sending my kids to, and this article about yet another Bodine teacher of the year award certainly doesn't do anything but reinforce that belief.

* Who knew that changing your font to Century Gothic could save the planet?

* What "mancession"? Yes, for every 100 jobs lost by men, 46 women lost their jobs; but in the 2001 recession, it was 100 to 17, and in the 1990s recession, it was 100 to 2. And, from October 2009 to March 2010, while the men were +260,000 jobs, the women were -22,000. In other words, this most recent crunch really hit the women hard, historically speaking.

* I've studied a lot lately about the current fiscal distress of America's cities, but here is the most telling data point I've come across: the Lakers are paying for their own championship parade.

* Here's a sign of how bad crime is in Philly: they'll even hit up Charlie Mack. If you own "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper," you know that "Charlie Mack is the first out of the limo."

Reformed Bicyclist

Take it from me: though I was once an uncaring sinner, I have now seen the light and mended my ways, and I urge you to do the same.

I speak, of course, in spiritual and eternal terms. But I also speak as a bicycle rider to other bicycle riders. In my impetuous days of youth, I zig-zagged through traffic, careened down sidewalks, ran red lights, and routinely went the wrong way.

But I realize now, in my more mature adult years, that reckless bicycling not only endangers myself, but sets back the cause of a more bike-friendly Philadelphia. After all, isn’t the typical attitude towards bicyclists one of disdain by both cars and pedestrians? Cars hate being cut off by and having to watch for errant bicyclists, and pedestrians resent when they have to share space with and avoid being swiped by bicyclists gone mad.

Having been chastened by more than one fellow bicyclist to remember that, by law, I am to obey the same laws as cars – stop at red lights, go the right way, don’t use sidewalks – I have decided to become a model, law-abiding citizen. And I urge you, if you get around on two wheels, to do the same. If we can all be more well-behaved, we just might get more traction from our fellow citizens on four wheels and on two legs to support our efforts to make Philadelphia more bike-friendly.

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About My Water Bill

It's not every day you can blog about your water bill. But indeed that day has come. This month's water bill included a fact sheet on the shift, as of July 1, towards more of your bill consisting of the extent to which your property contributes to stormwater run-off. (I had previewed this shift in a post last year.)

It appears that residential properties will be charged equally, based on a citywide average of lot size and impervious coverage. I'm a little nervous about this, because it means there is slightly less incentive for homeowners to conserve, since actual water usage is now less a part of your bill. Maybe someday, we'll have higher usage fees, as well as more of a connect between usage and fee - it can be easy to not make the connection between usage and fee when you use water every day but only see the bill for it once a month. Those would be the sort of things that would encourage shorter showers, figuring out how to capture greywater for other purposes, and so on.

The real shift, though, is not on the residential side but on the commercial side, where a determination of impervious coverage has been made and a good chunk of the bill will reflect that. You're going to have a lot of accounts not change much, some go down by a little, some go up by a little, and some go up by a lot. And when I say, "a lot," I mean, "I used to pay $50 a month and now it's going to be $5,000." (Think auto-oriented shopping malls surrounded by sprawling parking lots.) I predict lots of appeals.

The phase-in period, which I had first understood to be two years, has been lengthened to four years, which I suppose is a fair length of time to make whatever adjustments would be worth making (i.e. replacing impervious surfaces with pervious ones). And, the real difference-maker is going to be for new construction, as builders bake this new way of billing into the cost-benefit calculations of their designs.

You can go here for more information on the transition. As noted, more could be done here, but this is a bold and ballsy step by the Philadelphia Water Department. Let's keep an eye out on how this plays out.

Generation Next

It will probably come as no surprise to hear Philadelphia described as a "wait your turn, kid" kind of place. The 50-year-long perception and reality of a shrinking pie, an old-school political culture, and not nearly as much immigration as other cities like LA/Miami/NYC/Chicago means that there is a logic to the old guard seeking to retain its power rather than devolve it to the next generation. This is obviously a grossly simplified and in some cases completely incorrect narrative, and yet I would venture to say it is more true of us than of other cities.

To the extent that it is in fact true, the lament is invariably that the youngsters leave for freer places and the oldsters bid "good riddance" and scoff at the naivete. But something else can happen and does happen. The youngsters stick around. They get in with and learn from the establishment, enough to shed the naivete and gain some cred and some smarts. "Wait your turn, kid" may be galling to the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but there is some good in that, for experience and track record and the demonstration of a willingness to persevere for the long journey are actually things that matter.

The youngsters also do something else. They reject a system in which they must wait their turn or kiss someone's ring or depend on someone else's resources/approval/involvement. And so they organize. They make do without the resources, approval, or even awareness of the old establishment. They get stuff done. And their enthusiasm and stick-to-itiveness is infectious; it begets more, it emboldens others to go out and just do it as well, and it sometimes even creates enough momentum for a bandwagon to form.

Working within the system or flouting the system: can you do both? In fact, both are needed. For the old guard still has much to give, and the newbies can't do it alone. And, if both are humble enough, secure enough, hungry enough, really good stuff can happen. It's what I hope for our cities, and especially for Philadelphia.

We Should Want More of Them

I lunched with a colleague of mine earlier this week who is active in immigration issues at a local and national level. He regaled me with the story of one immigrant, let's call her Rose, who had pretty much everything go wrong that was possible to go wrong in her childhood, and somehow pulled herself up by her bootstraps, started a business, employed people, and sent two kids off to college. It was, in essence, the quintessential feel-good American story.

My colleague and I lamented aspects of local and national policy that sent the signal - whatever is or is not the reality is actually secondary, since perception is what counts when people are making decisions about where they are going to go - that immigrants are not welcome here. Should we not want more people like Rose in our communities, cities, and regions? Who basically announce with their blood, sweat, and tears that they are prepared to do whatever it takes and work however hard is needed to make it and to make a way for their children?

Sports fans may ooh and aah at raw talent, but fan favorites are usually those who, talent or no talent, want it more. Most sports fans would take a team full of players who are hungry and desperate and committed and fearless over a team full of entitled prima donnas, no matter how gifted they are.

I realize I am glossing over some considerable complexities here by making this comparison, but should not we be the same way with immigrants? Should we not want more of them, rather than saying they're not welcome? After all, isn't what makes America great is the great and fanciful and meritorious notion that we are a land of opportunity and freedom such that if we are persistent and motivated and industrious enough, we can make it for ourselves and our children?

Rose's example is by no means unusual, but is rather almost definitional of her class of immigrants, much like my parents when they came to the US in the 1960's. We should want more, for if they come, I posit that we will be greater and stronger, and more like the America we conjure up in our minds, for it.

Winning Drive

Kudos to my friend Simon Hauger for landing a front page story in yesterday’s Inquirer as his team of West Philadelphia High School students heads off to Michigan for the Automotive X-Prize and a chance at winning $10 million for building a car that can get 100 miles to the gallon. This is a great example of two things I believe in:

1) There is practically no limit to what motivated kids can do, no matter how beleaguered are the neighborhoods and schools they come from.

2) Innovation is inherently a disruptive activity, for those inside the box are insufficiently driven to find a new way to the old thing they make their living on.

Lofty ideals aside, my competitive spirit and my West Philly pride say: go team!

Religion Bleg

As a British American Project fellow and 2010 conference planning team member, I have a religion-related ask of all of you. I'm helping assemble a panel of folks who can talk about the notion of "freedom of religion" versus "freedom from religion." (The overall topic for the November conference is "freedom," suiting the Philadelphia location.) Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City was recommended as a potential participant. Can anyone put me in contact with him?

Out of My Element in North Philly

Earlier this week, a ten-minute walk from a Regional Rail station to a conference center (where I was giving a presentation) took me through a pretty rough part of North Philadelphia. Even though it was bright as day out, it wasn't the smoothest of journeys: every eye seemed to follow my every step, one guy who almost certainly wasn't a panhandler asked me for twenty bucks, and, to top it all off, a mean-looking dude in a truck barked at me out his window, saying "what the heck are you doing here?" Only, instead of "heck," he used another word, which rhymes with "yuck."

When I ran an entrepreneurship program for inner city youth, I used to marvel at how often I would meet kids who had never left their neighborhood. Even Center City, which they could see in the not-so-far distance and which was but a few more subway stops past where they would normally go, was for all intents and purposes a foreign country for which they had no visa. The corollary to that, I guess, is that the neighborhoods which many of these kids and their families inhabit rarely see visitors from outside the neighborhood, least of all spiky haired Asians walking briskly in suits.

In his book, "The Making of a Leader," Robert Clinton talks about his research on leaders in the Bible, church history, and present times, and discusses different stages and characteristics of leaders' trajectories. He calls what God is doing way before a leader is thrust into leadership (and, in many cases, even before he or she begins to have any sort of Christian faith) "sovereign foundations." Which is to say that well before we are aware of God's workings in our lives, He is still working in our lives, providing us with experiences and perspectives that will shape how we evolve as people and as leaders.

For me, being Asian in America seared into me a sense of hyphenation and of crossing cultures. Speaking one language at home and another outside of the home, learning at an early age that I looked different than others, even being teased: these were all formative experiences, which shaped how I would subsequently frame my understanding of the world, of God, and of what it meant to do His work. Consider, in contrast, a boy or girl who has never left the neighborhood, and who has spent the vast majority of life in settings and with people who are also similarly confined to a small geographic space.

We are, of course, not trapped by our "sovereign foundations" - God has done remarkable things throughout time to take someone who you would least expect and use him or her for a remarkable purpose. But it is a neglected aspect of the poverty of places like the North Philadelphia neighborhood I walked through earlier this week, that people who have not had the opportunity to have meaningful contact with others different than them miss out on the good that comes from being able to look outside one's own context to understand that of others.

What about us who have had more opportunity and more privilege? Are we actively seeking to break out of what is familiar to us, to walk a mile in the shoes of someone different from us so that we can grow our understanding of the diversity of experiences mankind has had, so that we can be more influential in being used by God to reach and love those He has put on our hearts to reach and love? Or do we safely cocoon ourselves within familiar settings, where our world views remain unchallenged and our sense of propriety unpricked by the observation of lives that are far different than ours? Alas, I must confess I far too often do the latter more than the former, and then compound my uncaring attitude by looking down on those different than I.

This attitude is not shared by my God. Remember that a defining characteristic of the God of the Christian faith is that He incarnated - literally, "enfleshed" - Himself to walk a mile in the shoes of those He created who then subsequently abandoned Him. Leaving our comfort zones to understand the plight and perspective of a fellow human being, no matter how stark the disparity in socio-economic status, geography, or demographics, is nothing compared to God becoming man, mixing with men, teaching and serving men, and being betrayed and condemned and executed by men.

As out of my element as I was during my walk through North Philadelphia, I am glad for the journey, for I am reminded of Him who walked among us. He bore insults and misunderstanding and scars to reach us. What will I bear to do the same?

Everyone Loves a Villain

I set a pretty high bar for leaders last week, so let me come to their defense today. Yesterday, I attended a talk by my old professor and Fels director, Don Kettl, on the subject of public sector management. While we common folk perceive of public services as a sort of vending machine - insert tax dollars in slot, out come public services we ask for - the reality of getting stuff done in the public realm is vastly more complicated. After all, if what the public sector did was easy, there would be a private sector solution for it. But responding to heart attacks, fallen bridges, and terrorist threats calls for coordination of many vast bureaucracies, each with their own protocols, mission statements, and jurisdictions. It's a wonder anything at all gets done.

What was interesting for me to pick up during the talk was Dr. Kettl's explanation of the predicament in which Michael Brown found himself in after Katrina, and which BP finds itself in in the aftermath of the Gulf spill. The tragedy of these situations, Dr. Kettl contended, was not that Brown or BP were evil or stupid, but that they weren't and aren't and yet disaster still ensued and solutions were and are hard to come by.

With those comments, I could sense an almost corporate bristling throughout the crowd. Some could scarcely maintain a poker face, while others shifted uncomfortably. These were, after all, a person and an entity that we have all painted with broad brushes as incompetent, greedy, and uncaring. We did not want to accept Dr. Kettl's core notion, that Katrina and the Gulf spill are primarily case studies in the difficulty of getting complicated stuff done in the public realm, because that would take away from us the calming effect of having a villain to assign blame to for all that went wrong. Without a villain, there was tension in the room, because we had to deal with the notion that there was no easy release for the visceral angst that had built up in our psyches from the images we associate with Katrina and the Gulf spill.

I don't think Kettl was absolving or defending either Brown or BP. I am guessing he was pressing his point by purposely picking two deeply unpopular antagonists in the recent dramas that have played out in our airwaves to demonstrate that, even in those stark cases, the real cause for concern is that this kind of stuff is hard to get right. Alas, too often we don't think that far; instead, we look for a villain, and, having absolved ourselves from staying any longer in the discomfort of a royal mess, find relief in beating that villain mercilessly. Welcome to the joys of life in the public realm. Brown and BP deserve to be held to the high standard I described last week; but they do not deserve to be thoughtlessly pilloried by those of us who would rather satisfy our lust for justice by pinning everything on a straw villain rather than delving deeper into the complexities of what could have been done better.

Slow Burn

Can you guess what situation I am talking about? Something has happened, and yes investigations need to be given proper time to play out and people need to be given the benefit of the doubt and the situation is too complicated for pithy solutions and there are other fish to fry and we are in a uniquely challenging time and all that . . . but. As the leader of the organization, it's uniquely your moment, when everyone is wondering how you will respond, to come out and say something to the effect of:

"What has happened and is happening is completely unacceptable. And I will take complete responsibility to see that this does not happen again, that the people who did wrong are punished, that the people and systems that were in place to allow this to take place are held to account, and that I can look the people who were hurt and the ones who love them right in the eye and tell them that I am sorry this happened and I am doing all I can to make this right and to make sure it doesn't happen again."

I have been waiting for those words. Leaders step up and say those words, and then they back them up. Whether it is fair or not to hold our leaders to such standards is, to me, irrelevant, for perception has become reality. George W. Bush was a hero for rising up to meet his 9/11 moment, and then was punished for seeming to not take Katrina seriously enough. Barack Obama was punished in the press for not seeming to be more hands-on after the Gulf spill, and ratcheted up his anger and clenched his jaw more in response.

In the face of crises, we want our leaders to be courageous and responsible and decisive and unwavering. If instead we see excuses and blame-shifting and softness and apathy, the message has been sent: I am shying away from the moment, if people have been hurt it is not important to me, if people have done wrong it is OK on my watch, and it is acceptable for me for this sort of thing to take place so long as I am around.

Fairly or unfairly, we expect more of our leaders. Our verdicts upon them may be far too rash, based on far too little, and calibrated to an unrealistically high standard. But it's the price we pay for the buck stopping at our desk. And, if we're good, we say instead: I am seizing this moment, if people have been hurt I am profoundly sorry, if people have done wrong I will make sure to let everyone know that they will not go unpunished, and I am telling you right now that this sort of thing is completely and utterly unacceptable under my watch and I will not stand for it and I will make this right.

In the situation I am referring to, I have not yet heard those words. And I am starting to do a slow burn. You will be hearing more from me on this subject.

Sacred Places for Community Use

One of the cool thing about living in a funky, urban, and historic neighborhood is its funky, urban, diverse, and historic buildings. One is the church structure in which our congregation has met for over a hundred years, and it is one of five profiled in a nice little brochure put together by Partners for Sacred Places and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, called "Sacred Places for Community Use Venue Menu." That's what's cool about Philly, is its commitment to re-use, to the mixing of old and new. I'll therefore add to my standing invitations, to join our congregation if you're looking for one to join, and to visit our Sunday morning service if you are looking for a place to worship, an additional invitation to use our facility for your event next you're looking for a funky, urban, and historic setting.

PS How funny: the first image I could find of Woodland was this one, of the 34 trolley rolling right past it. So add to the descriptors "transit-served." !

Out of DC, Here's Change You Can Believe In (and Fastball, Curve, and Slider)

I predict: 6 3 1 1 1 6, 90 pitches, and 1 standing ovation. The kid's going to have an incredible first month, albeit on a very short leash, before tapering off a tad at the end of the season. Way too few IP and way too many other qualified candidates for any sort of ROY buzz, but you're looking at the Nats' ace for many years to come. Believe the hype, starting tonight.

Rituals

If ever there was a loaded word in this day and age, it is "ritual." Depending on the context and on one's own experience, this can connote comfort or distress, our deepest beliefs or our hardest cynicisms. Without delving too deeply, may I offer three ways we can make rituals bad things, and three ways we can make them good things?

We can make rituals bad things when . . .

1. We use them to stop thinking about the deep meanings behind them. How sad when their regularity cause us to lose the wonder associated with what they are to represent.

2. We use them to give ourselves a false sense of piety. Even sadder when we delude ourselves into thinking that devotion can be boiled down to whether or not we do some outward rite or participate in some man-led activity.

3. We use them to make others feel excluded. Saddest of all when we use rituals to draw a bright line around ourselves, reveling in our "inside" status while leaving everyone else on the outside wondering what our words and rites mean.

We can make rituals good things when . . .

1. We use them to build the regular habit of thinking about whatever weighty things they are intended to point us to. Rituals, after all, are meant to represent something worth meditating on regularly.

2. We use them to connect ourselves to something bigger and older than we are. Rituals are also meant to serve as bridges to generations past, who also partook of the same routines as we did.

3. We use them as teaching opportunities for our kids. When they ask us why we do what we do, we can include them in #1 and #2 above.

The faith I see described in the Old Testament is one of ritual. For some in the present day, that ritual is comforting, while for others it is cause for scorn. Let us neither automatically accept or dismiss the rituals in our midst, but consider how we can use them for bad and good, and make choices today to say no to the bad reasons and yes to the good ones.

Lazy Linking, Fourteenth in an Occasional Series

What I've liked on the Internets lately:

* I'm telling you, every part of Minority Report is going to come true - now we can do mass retinal scans.

* Megan McArdle's quote of an old saw - "recessions uncover what auditors can't" - reminds me that downturns represent opportunities for organizations to get things right, and let's hope that applies to countries as well.

* I like "Race to the Top" because it brings out the competitive spirit in the very best of education innovators at the district and state level; David Brooks likes it because it's a sensible, locally respecting approach to the federal role of education.

* I learned from reading "The Green Book" this weekend that every time I flush the toilet or take a two-minute shower, I've just used as much water as the average African person has available in a day.

* Who knew that two-thirds of city grids in the US don't face straight north? Thanks to my blogger friend over at Discovering Urbanism, we all know now.

* Ryan Avent is as tired as I am of the notion that raising the gas tax is a non-starter, given how effective it would be at remedying present environmental and land use inefficiencies, and in a simple manner.

* No surprise here, given how entitled we all are about health care and how much older our population is getting, but it's still useful to walk through a good fiscal analysis by none other than the director of the Congressional Budget Office, which reaches the conclusion that there does not appear to be any cost curve "bending" possible.

* Think buying a Prius is eco-friendly? Since it costs energy to build it, you're better off buying a used car; even with a significant per-mile energy efficiency advantage, the Prius will have to be driven over 129,000 miles before it's a better move than driving a 1998 Tercel.

* I've been railing about how California's primary system encourages extremism, so I am happy to hear voters there will get a chance via Proposition 14 to implement Washington State style primaries and reward moderate positions from both parties, and even happier to hear polling suggests it will pass.

Community in Action

Yesterday, I took Jada to not one but two neighborhood parties. Yes, even 90+ degree heat doesn't deter me from crashing in on free events. Sure enough, upon arrival at the first - a grand re-opening for a credit union at 50th and Baltimore - Jada had scored a face-painting and a balloon giraffe. Nice vibe at this corner, between the historic architecture, new retail, and recently spruced up park and play equipment.

From there, we headed to the five-year anniversary celebration for Park West, the shopping complex at 52nd and Jefferson. There, I heard inspiring and positive words from Jim Burnett, the executive director of the West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution, which made the complex and celebration possible, and from Councilman Curtis Jones, whose district the complex resides in.

With those moving words about community in action still ringing in our ears, I strapped Jada into the back seat of my bike and we headed home. But we got not one block from the complex when, while zipping by a line of cars waiting at a red light at a busy intersection, Jada lost grip of her balloon giraffe. As she howled, the giraffe floated helplessly up the street against traffic. I make an abrupt U-turn and tried to trace its flight pattern, presuming that at any moment, it would roll under the wheels of a car and be reduced to nothing.

A young man came to our rescue. He got out of his car, moving with catlike quickness, and putting a hand up to a car that was getting ready to move again now that the light had turned green. He secured the giraffe and handed it to Jada. If this is possible, I could hear the smiles of approval from everyone within viewing distance of this moment.

Jada and I thanked him profusely for his random act of kindness, and then pedaled away. Today, there was a lot of talk about community in action, and at least two really good events that put that into action, but I will remember this young man's brave act as the best example of the day.

On the Radio

Amidst the hustle and bustle of juggling clients and proposals and deadlines and documents, it was nice to break away in the early afternoon, take the bus out to Bala Cynwyd, and appear on my friend L. Renee Mitchell's business and finance radio program on WNWR, "The Hunt with L. Renee." She was a gracious and accomplished host, making me feel very comfortable in the studio (hard to do when you're fearful of sounding like a fool on live radio), and keeping our live conversation flowing (hard to do when you're talking about economics). Alas, the 30-minute show flew by, and then it was back to the office and back to work. If you have radio access on Wednesdays at 1:30 in the afternoon, tune in to 1540 AM; if she could make even me sound halfway decent, you know she can do a good program.

No Wasted Energy

As I have noted previously in this space, I was raised to waste nothing. Toothpaste tubes got cut open so you could scrape a week's worth of product out before tossing it, water was collected in a bucket while you were waiting for it to warm up for your shower so it could be used to flush the toilet, and recyclable items were dutifully sorted and recycled. It was never explained why we did these things - although frugality was never far from the surface - we just knew they were the right thing to do and we did them.

These kinds of acts are going to be increasingly important in a world of scarcer natural resources. And yet, for all of our greenery, I still see a lot of waste in my life and in my world. Just to give one example, I wash my dishes with water that has been treated at such great expense that I can drink it, and yet that water goes down my kitchen sink drain instead of being reused on the plants in our front garden, which I have to use brand-new water to water.

A recent OECD conference notes that the role of government in promoting innovation in areas like clean tech may be to use taxes to properly price environmental externalities, thus generating the demand for innovative energy-saving solutions, rather than just generating the supply of them via picking and subsidizing certain industries and techniques over others. As a free-market advocate, I'm all for profit motivating the best solution to a dire problem rather than trusting big government to figure out what that best solution is.

In other words, let governments help get the price right, and then let innovators bring solutions to market. A recent Fast Company article lists six feasible "supertiny power plants" that represent potential energy that I am sure would be more readily converted to real and usable energy if energy prices were correct. Cars driving on roads, people walking on sidewalks, railway tracks absorbing energy from passing trains, sports fans jumping and cheering, the vibration from helicopter rotors, and even the rise and fall of our lungs: all of these energy generators can be harnessed and used on site, instead of importing new energy to those places.

Hard-core urban greenies have figured out how to rig their kitchen sinks to divert that water that I'm wasting to their gardens, never mind that it's illegal in most cities. If the cost of making water safe for us in our homes was more closely associated with the price we pay for it, I'm sure there would be more of that. Just like I'm sure we'd be less lazy about the way our outdoor lighting works - most of the light goes up and out, instead of down, which is where we actually need it - if electricity was properly priced. And just like our driving and living patterns would be more sustainable if gas was priced correctly.

It supposedly takes incredible political will (or perhaps stupidity) to support the proper pricing of natural resources in this day and age. And yet, given how much energy we are still willing to waste, even as we blow hot air about the importance of being "green," I'm willing to support what apparently counts for "stupid" instead of the present stupidity of policymakers who are unwilling to use taxes to get energy prices right and who are instead quite willing to decide for us who the next gen clean tech winners and losers are going to be.

No Other Gods Before Me

Christianity is typically viewed as a lifestyle of “do’s” and “don’ts” – do go to church and do good deeds, don’t do drugs or cheat on your spouse. I don’t deny that knowing the “do’s” and “don’ts” is important to God and useful to us. But I think that what really matters is the prioritizations of our mind, body, and heart. Or, to put it another way, “what are my gods” or “what are my idols.”

“Gods” and “idols” we tend to think of narrow terms. These are things we literally or figuratively bow down to in worship and devotion. It can be easy for the Christian to think himself idol-free; after all, rare is the modern believer who kneels before a totem or proclaims his commitment to the devil.

And yet I would contend that our lives are strewn with idols. Or perhaps I will just assert that my life is. For when God says “no other gods before me,” it’s pretty clear that he wants all of our intellect, all of our physicality, and all of our affection. And yet I am all too often governed by, beholden to, and identified with other things besides Him:

• My wife and kids
• My friends and family
• My body image and overall reputation
• My money and possessions
• My job, career, and vocation
• My favorite activities and celebrities
• My affiliations, titles, and positions
• My knowledge and intellect
• My acts of service and righteousness
• My theological understanding

What does it mean for these things to be idols? Surely most if not all of them are inherently good things. Surely putting God first does not necessarily mean cutting any or all of these things out of my life. And yet, the enemy of the best is not the worst but the almost-best, and the idols that so many of us are seduced and ruined by are not the “obviously wrong” but the “very good but not meant to replace God.” The command and the invitation by God is that He is first; all else filters through that expectation of complete and utter devotion.

Of course, this does not mean that I don’t really care much about my wife or my job, but because God tells me to, I begrudgingly summon the willpower to go through the motions of love and honor. No, for to be governed by, beholden to, and identified with God alone means more than just an act of will; it is a transformative process that spares no part of us, but causes us to think, feel, and live as deep as we were intended to as humans.

Sadly, the things we settle for, apart from relationship with and commitment to God, leave us shallower and weaker. And yet, time and again, I am defined by, compelled by, driven by them instead of my Maker. “No other gods before me” is what I was made for, but I find it a steep lifestyle to live up to. For it means that all of my actions, passions, and sources of identity merit examination.

Christianity isn’t as easy, simple, or plain as “do’s” and “don’ts.” It is a high calling, higher than most of us in this generation are unwilling to respond to. What a tragedy; for it is what we were literally made to strive for. We settle for actions, passions, and sources of identity that hollow us out, when true and lasting and unimaginable brilliance beckon us instead. All we need is God, but instead we strew our lives with meaningless idols and shallow pursuits, and clutter ourselves from glory.

I have been given many good things to enjoy, but in converting them into gods instead, I have diminished my pleasure and distanced myself from the one true God. “No other gods before me” is not easy, unrealistic, or burdensome; it is rather a high and glorious invitation, and daily I will try anew to accept it.

Huang Family Newsletter, May 2010

Adults - Amy finished all her coursework and promptly received and accepted a full-time position to work within the hospital unit of the Philadelphia prison system, starting in September. Lee did his usual juggling of work and other projects, and enjoyed a nice evening sneak-away from the family to catch a Phils game with a friend.

Kids - Aaron and Jada did their share of hard labor, including helping out with the front lot garden and chipping in on a neighborhood clean-up of the bird sanctuary in our backyard. They also did their share of having a riot of fun, including candy- and prize-laden parties at Carousel House, Collingswood, and the Penn campus, as well as Memorial Day weekend barbecues galore.

PS A quick update on Lee's mom: she's finally back home, after five months in hospitals and other facilities, due in large part to three separate bouts of pneumonia. She is still vulnerable to infection but the fact that she was cleared to go home is a very good sign and is likely to generate a significant emotional boost for her. Continued prayers are appreciated for her health, recovery, and adjustment, as well as strength for Lee's dad, who will continue his primary caregiver role.

Random Tweets, of No Nutritional Value Whatsoever

Last week, a friend of mine emailed me in the morning to see if I was free for lunch. Of course, I was downtown at an event and, not having a smart phone, didn't get the message until I returned to my office that afternoon. Yes, in 2010, there is still at least one well-educated young professional who only checks his email from his work and home computers.

I quickly fired off a reply to my friend, sheepishly apologizing for my techno-lameness, and confessing it may be many moons until I can receive such messages remotely. He responded with an insistence that I join the masses, if only to contribute to the world my random thoughts throughout the day.

I suppose someday I'll be thusly technologically empowered. Until then, I give you some random musings, of no nutritional value whatsoever, that I would have posted in the past week had I had the capability to rap them out in the moment. Just to play within the rules, I used Word Count on Microsoft Word to make sure these were all under 140 characters. After you read them, you'll likely think my friend crazy for thinking there is any demand for my vapid thoughts.

* If cells had a button that tells the caller, "I’m here but need to excuse myself first; wait ten seconds," wouldn't you use that?

* I was elated when tech guru Guy Kawasaki started following me on Twitter, until I learned he follows 250,000+ others!

* My loyalties trump my thriftiness: in need of flip-flops, I saw a $5 pair at Modell’s but couldn’t buy them because they said “Red Sox.”

* My wife, who tends our son's Farmville garden via my Facebook account, now accepts/rejects incoming friend and event invites for me.

* I spoil my daughter: our commute to school and work is me in suit pedaling in 90 degree heat, her in bike seat in back eating Sun Chips.

* What’s more needless overkill: manufacturers designing cars that can go 150 mph but will only be used to go 25-75 mph, or us buying them?