Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

Wages? Increased. Money? Wagered. Corporate thugs? Snubbed. Marketing ploys? Destroyed. And the PPA? In possession of fewer coins than they would have been had I not conserved SmartCard credits with some to spare. Yes, Running Numbers' inaugural New Year's Resolutions turned out OK after all. With the world improved, RN turns inward for '08.

1 Number of books, for yet another year, to be read by participants of the "One Book, One Philadelphia" campaign. Don't miss the kickoff event for the chosen book, What is the What, featuring a lecture by its author, Dave Eggers, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Free Library, Central Branch. Which is also a perfect kickoff to Resolution No. 1: Read at least one book in 2008. What? I'm not here to show anyone up.

3 Number of holy men from the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia — Cardinal Justin Rigali, Imam Anwar Muhaimin and Rabbi David Straus — who will preside over an interfaith prayer service in honor of Mayor-elect Michael Nutter Jan. 3 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, 18th Street and the Parkway. This is a good time to bring up Resolution No. 2: Avoid comedy clichés in this column. For instance, in this case, I wouldn't mention the one that begins with a priest, a rabbi and an imam on their way to a prayer service. For the record, though, it ends with them agreeing on something about John Street. I'll leave the rest to you.

3 Number of days you have left to see "Renoir's Landscapes 1861-1883," an exhibit of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's paintings at the Art Museum ending Jan. 6. This could lead to a quick victory for Resolution No. 3: Don't procrastinate on cultural offerings. We all know what happened with the great Dali debacle of 2005.

3 Number of panelists — from Merrill Lynch, UBS Wealth Management Research and Citigroup — who will provide their projections of the financial markets and the economy in the coming year during the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Philadelphia's 2008 Forecast Dinner Jan. 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Union League of Philadelphia, 140 S. Broad St. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased atcfaphil.org. What couldn't have been projected, however, is Resolution No. 4: Invest. Perhaps in pork belly futures. Either way, I definitely forecast pork products in my future.

6 Number of NBA championships won — and books written — by basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who will serve as the keynote speaker for the President's Program at the American Library Association's 2008 Midwinter Meeting, Jan. 11-14 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. In honor of Sweet Lew's apparent literary prowess, I humbly submit a revision of Resolution No. 1: Read at least 20 books in 2008. Now we're talking. Er, reading. Er, already failing at Resolution No. 2.

Can I get your digits? I want to hear about the numerals you need to see. Let a number runner know at runningnumbers@gmail.com. Can't live without your weekly numberology? Bookmark running numbers at citypaper.net/runningnumbers.