Thursday, April 22, 2004
Bulldogs On The Cuyahoga
Some friends of mine in Pittsburgh are laying the groundwork for bringing large number of Yale undergrads to Pittsburgh for summer internships, hoping to entice them into locating here after they graduate. The program would be modeled on something similar in Cleveland. This has to be a good thing: competition should make everyone work harder. Maybe local alumni of other colleges could do the same thing with their students?
Since it seems to be an annual Pittsburgh ritual to bemoan the departure of graduating Pittsburgh students for graduate school and careers in other cities, let me repeat: Go away! Students who have gone to college here should graduate and move away. Our challenge isn't to keep them where they think they don't want to be. Our challenge is to persuade them (and, especially, students who went to college elsewhere) to come back to Pittsburgh later.
Since it seems to be an annual Pittsburgh ritual to bemoan the departure of graduating Pittsburgh students for graduate school and careers in other cities, let me repeat: Go away! Students who have gone to college here should graduate and move away. Our challenge isn't to keep them where they think they don't want to be. Our challenge is to persuade them (and, especially, students who went to college elsewhere) to come back to Pittsburgh later.
The money pit at Pitt
I've been waiting for the letters to the editor to start appearing in response to the Post-Gazette's investigation of the cost of building Pitt's Petersen Event Center. (Part Two of the report is here. The response of the University is reported here (reporting comments by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg to the University Senate) and here (public relations fluff from the university telling the P-G to send its questions to Harrisburg--any overruns weren't the University's fault).
I'm in no position to question either the P-G investigation or Pitt's response that the investigation asked misleading questions and ended up with misleading conclusions. What is interesting to me is the public reaction--the letters.
Some of the letters seem to get the point that the P-G was trying to make. This was an expensive project built largely with public money. As fabulous as the resulting building has turned out to be (so I'm told), it's reasonable to ask whether the public got it's money's worth. It's also reasonable to ask whether the Legislature went in with its eyes open--or whether Pitt officials low-balled Harrisburg in order to get the Legislature's buy-in, then ramped up the scale of the project when it was too late for anyone to pull out.
Some of the letters, however, reflect the attitude that is the bete-noire of this blog: How dare anyone criticize Pittsburgh, when all this city is trying to do is improve itself? Why not just focus on the good stuff (the great Petersen arena)? And isn't it the Post-Gazette's job to play up the good things about the region, not to dwell on the negative?
HELP! Pittsburgh can never move forward as a city until it stops being so thin-skinned. Be proud of the city, the region, its people, its culture, its history, and its future. But be not afraid of justified criticism. "I can take it" is a mark of a region's maturity. The P-G--and all of the City's journalists--should continue to take on the City's major institutions.
I'm in no position to question either the P-G investigation or Pitt's response that the investigation asked misleading questions and ended up with misleading conclusions. What is interesting to me is the public reaction--the letters.
Some of the letters seem to get the point that the P-G was trying to make. This was an expensive project built largely with public money. As fabulous as the resulting building has turned out to be (so I'm told), it's reasonable to ask whether the public got it's money's worth. It's also reasonable to ask whether the Legislature went in with its eyes open--or whether Pitt officials low-balled Harrisburg in order to get the Legislature's buy-in, then ramped up the scale of the project when it was too late for anyone to pull out.
Some of the letters, however, reflect the attitude that is the bete-noire of this blog: How dare anyone criticize Pittsburgh, when all this city is trying to do is improve itself? Why not just focus on the good stuff (the great Petersen arena)? And isn't it the Post-Gazette's job to play up the good things about the region, not to dwell on the negative?
HELP! Pittsburgh can never move forward as a city until it stops being so thin-skinned. Be proud of the city, the region, its people, its culture, its history, and its future. But be not afraid of justified criticism. "I can take it" is a mark of a region's maturity. The P-G--and all of the City's journalists--should continue to take on the City's major institutions.
Community Forestry: Success Stories
My colleague Susanna Leers took up my challenge--does Pittsburgh really have *so* many trees?--and ran the question into the ground, so to speak. It turns out that no one can figure out precisely where this little fact-let ("Pittsburgh has more trees per capita than any other city.") came from, despite its having acquired the ring of truth.
Along the way, however, Susanna discovered that Pittsburgh has a City Forester, one Dale Vezzetti, who has (among other responsibilities) the task of counting the trees. I think that it's pretty cool that we have a City Forester. We also have a Shade Tree Commission. Yet again, it turns out that Pittsburgh is greener than people generally think. It also turns out that Pittsburgh's Forester is plugged into the state-wide Pennsylvania Urban and Community Forestry Council. The council publishes accounts of "Success Stories" of Regional Community Tree Associations. At the link above, look for the Pittsburgh-area success story from the Winter 1999 issue.
I'm suspecting that someone will pop up and note that the Shade Tree Commission is or is about to become a victim of the City's budget woes. I hope that the Commission survives. Among other things, the Commission exists to solicit community volunteers to become "Tree Stewards," teaching people about the proper care and feeding of our trees. (Just now, an image of Ents, the tree-people from the Lord of the Rings, popped into my head.) How cool is that?
Along the way, however, Susanna discovered that Pittsburgh has a City Forester, one Dale Vezzetti, who has (among other responsibilities) the task of counting the trees. I think that it's pretty cool that we have a City Forester. We also have a Shade Tree Commission. Yet again, it turns out that Pittsburgh is greener than people generally think. It also turns out that Pittsburgh's Forester is plugged into the state-wide Pennsylvania Urban and Community Forestry Council. The council publishes accounts of "Success Stories" of Regional Community Tree Associations. At the link above, look for the Pittsburgh-area success story from the Winter 1999 issue.
I'm suspecting that someone will pop up and note that the Shade Tree Commission is or is about to become a victim of the City's budget woes. I hope that the Commission survives. Among other things, the Commission exists to solicit community volunteers to become "Tree Stewards," teaching people about the proper care and feeding of our trees. (Just now, an image of Ents, the tree-people from the Lord of the Rings, popped into my head.) How cool is that?
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Center for Creative Play
Via the Boilermaker Jazz Band, I've come upon the Center for Creative Play, in the East End -- with special programs for kids.
The Boilermaker Jazz Band -- Traditional Jazz in Pittsburgh
Shilling for people I've met, because they deserve the little bit of publicity that a blog can offer: Check out The Boilermaker Jazz Band, playing traditional jazz in and around Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Stupid is as stupid does . . . not
From The Uncivil Litigator, a mid-level associate at a law firm of a certain size, a speech that is remarkably similar to one that I occasionally give to my students: "Don't be afraid to look stupid. The fact is that when you're a new associate, you are stupid. And the quicker you understand this concept, the smarter other people will know you are. I realize this is difficult for some people to accept, probably because I'm using "stupid" very liberally. It's not that you're actually stupid from an intellectual point of view, it's just that you're ignorant of the actual realities of how to litigate a case. Therefore, don't make assumptions, and if you're clueless about something, it's better that you risk "looking stupid" (which the partner already knows you are) by asking a partner to help you, than to continue on your course of stupidity and actually harm your client and your firm."
The Sprout Fund
More support for innovation in the arts in Pittsburgh: The Sprout Fund.
A puzzle: looking through just the few entries on this blog about innovation in a variety of domains, why is Pittsburgh still best known--at least around the U.S.--as an old-time manufacturing city? Between high technology research and support for the arts, why isn't this the cultural heart of the mid-Atlantic region?
(For internationalists: Would the same question draw a different response outside of the U.S.? Is Pittsburgh's true modern form better appreciated elsewhere?)
A puzzle: looking through just the few entries on this blog about innovation in a variety of domains, why is Pittsburgh still best known--at least around the U.S.--as an old-time manufacturing city? Between high technology research and support for the arts, why isn't this the cultural heart of the mid-Atlantic region?
(For internationalists: Would the same question draw a different response outside of the U.S.? Is Pittsburgh's true modern form better appreciated elsewhere?)
The New Pittsburgh
The website for The New Pittsburgh hurts my eyes (make it stop moving, please!), but the concept is great.
Is it really true that Pittsburgh has more trees per capita than any city in the U.S.?
Is it really true that Pittsburgh has more trees per capita than any city in the U.S.?
Monday, April 12, 2004
Three Rivers Quilters
The 2004 Three Rivers Quilt Festival happens this weekend at the Castle Shannon Fire Hall, on Route 88 in the South Hills.
Remember Pittsburgh - By Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
The Carnegie Library has an e-commerce website that makes cool photographs of Pittsburgh past available for purchase in a variety of formats.
Friday, April 09, 2004
Turn-Back-The-Clock at PNC
From today's Post-Gazette: "Inspired by the positive comments from a turn-back-the-clock night last season, the Pirates have instituted a feature called "the quiet inning" this season. After two innings, the sound system goes silent and giant screen on the scoreboard goes blank to recall the feel of old-time baseball games. The plan is to have a quiet inning at each home game this year."
Dare I say it? Turn off the music *permanently* (or at least until the fireworks come out)! Use the Jumbotron for pictures and stats of the pitcher and batter.
Think of the marketing possibilities. Baseball for baseball fans! Baseball for kids! Baseball for families! Baseball for couples! Go out to the ballpark with your pals and enjoy the sights *and sounds* of the game! Only in Pittsburgh: *Real* baseball! Not only could the Pirates use some ideas to make more money--but not having to pay royalties to play loud '70s rock would also *save* them a lot of money.
Paraphrasing Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) in Field of Dreams: "This field, this game, is a part of our past, Kevin. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. People will come, Kevin. People will most definitely come."
Dare I say it? Turn off the music *permanently* (or at least until the fireworks come out)! Use the Jumbotron for pictures and stats of the pitcher and batter.
Think of the marketing possibilities. Baseball for baseball fans! Baseball for kids! Baseball for families! Baseball for couples! Go out to the ballpark with your pals and enjoy the sights *and sounds* of the game! Only in Pittsburgh: *Real* baseball! Not only could the Pirates use some ideas to make more money--but not having to pay royalties to play loud '70s rock would also *save* them a lot of money.
Paraphrasing Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) in Field of Dreams: "This field, this game, is a part of our past, Kevin. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. People will come, Kevin. People will most definitely come."
City budget battling continues; report is delayed
Once again, the Post-Gazette buries the lede in its report on the city's oversight committee. The key sentence in this story is the last one: "[Councilman Doug] Shields said the public needs to be updated on ongoing budget planning by Murphy and the two budget teams, and communication among all of them needs to be increased." D'oh!
Among other things, whatever happened to the public bickering about the ridiculous parking tax?
On that point, an economist colleague of mine at Pitt suggested to me that the parking tax hike actually was economically rational. Given the disparity between (high) residential and (low) commercial real estate tax rates in the city, and the city's inability to raise commercial rates directly, then raising a tax that is (in effect) borne by commercial property owners is the next-best thing. Those property owners can't pass the rate increase onto their tenants without losing tenants to suburban landlords.
That makes some sense to me, except that city landlords can pass rate increases onto their tenants if the tenants can pass them along to their employees--again, so long as there is little risk that downtown employees (now faced with parking rate increases) won't leave their jobs and work in the suburbs. The question, then, may not be the relative mobility of Pittsburgh firms, but the relative mobility of Pittsburgh workers. Here's my guess: Outside the educational/university setting, those folks are pretty mobile. So the city's strategy may be wrong, even in pure economic terms. Comments?
Among other things, whatever happened to the public bickering about the ridiculous parking tax?
On that point, an economist colleague of mine at Pitt suggested to me that the parking tax hike actually was economically rational. Given the disparity between (high) residential and (low) commercial real estate tax rates in the city, and the city's inability to raise commercial rates directly, then raising a tax that is (in effect) borne by commercial property owners is the next-best thing. Those property owners can't pass the rate increase onto their tenants without losing tenants to suburban landlords.
That makes some sense to me, except that city landlords can pass rate increases onto their tenants if the tenants can pass them along to their employees--again, so long as there is little risk that downtown employees (now faced with parking rate increases) won't leave their jobs and work in the suburbs. The question, then, may not be the relative mobility of Pittsburgh firms, but the relative mobility of Pittsburgh workers. Here's my guess: Outside the educational/university setting, those folks are pretty mobile. So the city's strategy may be wrong, even in pure economic terms. Comments?
First Fridays Pittsburgh
And social/professional networking for African Americans in Pittsburgh: First Fridays.
Pittsburgh's Next
And more: Pittsburgh's Next, a young professionals group that is more community-development than culture.
7th Movement
Trying to collect links to cool cultural resources around Pittsburgh: Here is the homepage of Seventh Movement and the Shadow Lounge.
Thursday, April 08, 2004
And What Thanks Do We Get?
I know that some of my law students (and former students) read this blog occasionally, so here's a link just for them: And What Thanks Do We Get?, a blog apparently written by three partners in a small law firm, about law firm life.
Best quote about practicing law, commenting on junior lawyers who can't take criticism that they aren't working hard or well enough: "That's the biggest secret in the business of law-- if you don't like it, you can get out. Get out of the firm that makes you work harder than you want to. Get out of the practice area that you've just realized is like a trip to the dentist every day you go to work. Get out of law all together, if it's not what suits you. All of us get into this profession because we are fairly bright, and very determined. I'd be the last to say that doggedness isn't a valuable personality trait, but very often I see lawyers who are miserable in their work, and are doing only because they are determined to hang on. That is a terrible way to feel about your profession-- if you hate it, there is no way you can be getting paid enough to keep doing this work, and the sooner you figure that out, the better.
But if you are going to by god be a lawyer, rewrite this brief-- and get your fucking hours up. Jesus, nobody makes any money if you are going home with the bankers, and I'm spending all my goddamn time re-doing your work. Stop acting like a china teacup, and start acting like a lawyer. Or else I'm going to have to start yelling, and none of us wants that."
Best quote about practicing law, commenting on junior lawyers who can't take criticism that they aren't working hard or well enough: "That's the biggest secret in the business of law-- if you don't like it, you can get out. Get out of the firm that makes you work harder than you want to. Get out of the practice area that you've just realized is like a trip to the dentist every day you go to work. Get out of law all together, if it's not what suits you. All of us get into this profession because we are fairly bright, and very determined. I'd be the last to say that doggedness isn't a valuable personality trait, but very often I see lawyers who are miserable in their work, and are doing only because they are determined to hang on. That is a terrible way to feel about your profession-- if you hate it, there is no way you can be getting paid enough to keep doing this work, and the sooner you figure that out, the better.
But if you are going to by god be a lawyer, rewrite this brief-- and get your fucking hours up. Jesus, nobody makes any money if you are going home with the bankers, and I'm spending all my goddamn time re-doing your work. Stop acting like a china teacup, and start acting like a lawyer. Or else I'm going to have to start yelling, and none of us wants that."
Backyard Gardening Series 2004
The Allegheny County Parks Department is sponsoring a series of classes for the backyard gardener, just in time for spring planting. Classes are being offered at Buffalo Inn in South Park, and at Mt. Nebo Grange Hall in the North Hills. A few will be at the Churchill Boro Building. All the classes are taught by Master Gardeners certified by Penn State.
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Honest Wagner
Baseball is officially back in the best-in-the-majors PNC Park. Honest Wagner has the Pirates' back. A Duquesne Law student is covering the Phillies and has a nice photo of the ballpark during yesterday's game.
Historic Pittsburgh
Cool Pittsburgh site of the day: Historic Pittsburgh, a collaboration among Pitt, the Heinz History Center, and the Carnegie Museum.
The Great Race Comes Back
Pittsburgh's little hometown 10k will be back in September 2004, after a one year hiatus caused by the city's budget.
When I lived in the Bay Area, I ran the Bay-to-Breakers many times. Not much of a race (for any but the elite runners), but a lot of fun. Its best feature: The Centipede Division.
When I lived in the Bay Area, I ran the Bay-to-Breakers many times. Not much of a race (for any but the elite runners), but a lot of fun. Its best feature: The Centipede Division.
Fiber art exhibition stretches boundaries
The Tribune Review covers the Fiberart International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Fibert Art, now ongoing in Pittsburgh at the Society for Contemporary Craft in the Strip District, and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in Shadyside. (Never fear, P-G fans: here's the paper's review.
Monday, April 05, 2004
Pittsburgh Judge Drops Internet Defamation Suit
Local Judge Joan Orie Melvin has dropped a lawsuit seeking to discover the name of an anonymous chat room critic.
Hot Jobs-Cool Communities :: Pittsburgh
So Pittsburgh is the #13 ranked "cool community" in the country in this report about "Hot Jobs" by Next Generation. That's one notch ahead of Los Angeles, but three places behind Milwaukee.
The whole thing sounds a little incredible, especially when you look at the variables that the consultants used. (How did we do on "Sunny Days"?) But we'll take it anyway.
The whole thing sounds a little incredible, especially when you look at the variables that the consultants used. (How did we do on "Sunny Days"?) But we'll take it anyway.
Fear not China, but embrace it
Pittsburgh's Dr. Ernest Manders has this report on embracing change in China.
It's difficult to read this essay and not conclude that the Pittsburgh region could use some of the same entrepreneurial energy that is gripping China (and parts of India).
It's difficult to read this essay and not conclude that the Pittsburgh region could use some of the same entrepreneurial energy that is gripping China (and parts of India).
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Community Development around Pittsburgh
Since I periodically post links to community development organizations around Pittsburgh, here are links to the venerable Allegheny Conference On Community Development, the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, and the 3 Rivers:One Future initiative.
Pittsburgh's business leaders should put half again as much time into starting new businesses as they put into "planning" for the future via these and similar organizations. At a minimum, for-profit companies, not-for-profit organizations, and governments should coordinate all Pittsburgh-region economic and community development efforts under a *single* umbrella, instead of trying to pass off the newest "initiative" as anything more than marketing. (As long as we're at it, how about a moratorium on new development "initiatives"?) And that *one* organization should avoid anything that remotely resembles "planning." Pittsburgh can't plan its future. Pittsburgh needs to attract money and energetic people, and hope that their future happens here.
Take a look at Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network to see how local business, government, and not-for-profit leaders can work together to build a web of support networks--not a *plan*--for regional development.
Pittsburgh's business leaders should put half again as much time into starting new businesses as they put into "planning" for the future via these and similar organizations. At a minimum, for-profit companies, not-for-profit organizations, and governments should coordinate all Pittsburgh-region economic and community development efforts under a *single* umbrella, instead of trying to pass off the newest "initiative" as anything more than marketing. (As long as we're at it, how about a moratorium on new development "initiatives"?) And that *one* organization should avoid anything that remotely resembles "planning." Pittsburgh can't plan its future. Pittsburgh needs to attract money and energetic people, and hope that their future happens here.
Take a look at Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network to see how local business, government, and not-for-profit leaders can work together to build a web of support networks--not a *plan*--for regional development.
Devastation and Renewal: An Environmental History of Pittsburgh and Its Region
Check out this new book about the environmental history of Western Pennsylvania. From the Pitt Press description: "In Devastation and Renewal, scholars of the urban environment . . . ask not only what happened to Pittsburgh's environment, but why. What forces--economic, political, and cultural--were at work? In exploring the disturbing history of pollution in Pittsburgh, they consider not only the sooty skies, but also the poisoned rivers and creeks, the mined hills, and scarred land. Who profited and who paid for such "progress"? How did the environment Pittsburghers live in come to be, and how it can be managed for the future?"
Friday, April 02, 2004
Rankings insanity
The about-to-be-officially released US News & World Report rankings of US colleges and universities has been generating discussion online (and offline) all week, by law faculties and students. Looking just at the rankings, Pitt comes off rather well: we move into the "top 50." But the rankings are controversial. It's not just that US News is measuring the wrong things, or that the rankings can be manipulated by law schools that know how to game the system (both of these are well-known flaws). A student at the University of Michigan law school hits the nail on the head with her analysis of the real problem.
Google Moves to Block RSS Scraping
You'll note that in the left column, I've added an XML feed to this site, no thanks to Google. In related news, Google has threatened a British programmer who released code that allows creation of RSS feeds based on Google News.
Seems that Google doesn't subscribe to one of my favorite quotations, by Wes "Scoop" Nisker: "If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own."
Seems that Google doesn't subscribe to one of my favorite quotations, by Wes "Scoop" Nisker: "If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own."
Thursday, April 01, 2004
The Time of Illusion
Critics of the current Bush administration may be tempted to reach for John Dean's new book, Worse than Watergate. I suggest, instead, reaching back for Jonathan Schell's brilliant analysis of a presidential administration that governed on political instincts alone--and eventually melted down domestically--because of the perceived imperatives of the Cold War. Read The Time of Illusion, an analysis of the Nixon administration, Watergate, and Vietnam.
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