It’s Gonna be one of those posts…..
As many of you know, I’ve been involved in local politics seriously since 2014. I became a local democratic zone leader in 2022. It’s been a big job, but it’s largely akin to running the PTO, but with more far-ranging consequences. You’ve got planning for events, wrangling volunteers, and keeping…
Guide to Gift Giving
It’s close to Christmas, and as we finish up our shopping, it’s worth reflecting on the purpose of gifts in the first place. I read an article this am about how millenial parents are frustrated that their Boomer parents are showering their kids with useless stuff that just ends up…
FFS
We’re living in interesting times. The lead candidate for the republican nomination for presidency just wants everyone to give up and anoint him their candidate now, despite finally starting to face the consequences of years of fraud and treating the legal system as a cudgel to use against anyone he…
AI is Going to Change Everything
Working in digital marketing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what it can and should be used for is all the rage right now. If you want to understand AI better, the best source is really Chris Penn– who has an excellent set of videos and regularly explains what’s happening in AI…
Podcamp 2023
A small group of us, die hards from Podcamp Philly and Podcamp East, came together this past weekend for Podcamp 2023 in Philadelphia. There were amazing sessions talking about how AI and Chat GPT will pose challenges to those of us who are involved in digital marketing, or looking to…
Glad to Leave Office? I get it.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is getting into trouble because he spoke his truth, saying he’s looking forward to a time when he’s not mayor. As someone who was a Township Supervisor for 6 years, I understand this sentiment perhaps as much as anyone. Being a local elected official may look…
Almost 80 Best Movies of the 80’s
Rolling Stone just put out a post of the 100 best movies of the 1980’s- and there are a lot of obscure movies that as a teenager/college student during the 80’s I never heard of. As a child of divorced parents, I spent a ridiculous amount of time at the…
Losing but not Lost
I lost my bid for re-election as a Township Supervisor. Elections are like the world’s longest job interview. I knocked 946 doors, speaking with friends and neighbors; sending mail out to people about what I stood for, and what I believed. I chose not to attack my opponent, even though…
Running for Office
I am a local Township Supervisor in Pennsylvania, running for re-election this year. Supervisor is a part-time position, and comes with a statutory stipend of $2,500.00 a year. that equates to about $5.20 or less an hour of meeting time, and other work we put in to help guide the…
Dementia
My mother-in-law has dementia. She had been pretty good at hiding her slow cognitive decline for a long time, but gradually, not even those of us who would have preferred to be in denial could avoid the truth. We needed to move Nancy out of her home and into a…
The 5 Things You Need to Know About Getting Attention Online
It seems like there's a resurgence in interest in creating more than just text online to drive interaction. I had a reporter contact me yesterday to talk about the use of podcasting for niche audiences, and then there's the explosion of interest in Pinterest. What...
Launching in Hostile Waters
This week, I've stumbled across several examples that make me wonder how product launches are going to work in the future. In the land of radical transparency and social media, leaks and speculations happen all the time. Rumors about Apple and future product launches...
Why Blog?
I'm doing a presentation this week to local folks we're calling "To Blog or Not to Blog". In getting my presentation together, I've come across a couple of interesting videos I thought I'd share. For those of us who've been blogging for years,the reasons seem obvious...
Less is More
I've been experimenting on and off with various audience measurement and influence measurement tools. Klout, Crowd Source, Peer Index- you name it. Some experiments have been short term. Others have been subtle changes is when and how I participate on various...
The Birthday Experiment
My "real" birthday is at the tail end of the holiday season. It has meant that it's about the last thing people want to be concerned about or want to celebrate after all they have been doing is celebrating. As a result, I've come to loathe my birthday over time....
Saying What You Mean
I feel sorry for people running for office. People are following you around with microphones and cameras all the time, hoping you will mis-speak or trip or do something they can get a story out of. It's a microscope that would make anyone look bad. The pressure...
iBooks Author Tools
The news about the new iBook author tools for the Mac have been met with enthusiasm and concern. Some see it as the dawn of new digital textbooks. Parents who see their kids struggling under backpacks that seem to weigh as much as they do, all cheer as well. The...
The Best Things in Education are Free
This past weekend, I attended another fantastic Educon, held annually at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. Education folks- Administrators, Ed Tech people, teachers, people from public and private schools, authors, publishers, parents, and even...
If Not Now, When?
*Quick note- I accidentally published this piece before it was edited- a quirk from using the iPad to compose in the Wordpress app and save in draft format, which I messed up. Sorry for any inconvenience. Sometimes, we know we're going to encounter a problem that...
Understanding PIPA and SOPA
This video was initially shared by Chris Penn via his website, and I'm resharing it here because it's one of the most concise explanations of SOPA and PIPA and why people are concerned about it that I've seen so far. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about,...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
