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…
Redefining Trust
One of the more interesting things I learned in going to law school and working in a law office was the fact that the "truth" could be subjective. While we all like to think there are absolute truths or facts, often the way these facts are presented depends a lot on...
Reputation Management Redux
It's a shame, really, that many of ABC's long time soap operas have been cancelled and will be going off the air in September. All My Children and One Life to Live were a "guilty pleasure" when I was a teenager, even through the days of story lines that seemed much...
Disruption of the Middle Class- Part III Education
In the last part of this series, we'll discuss how the automation of tasks by technology and the disruption of typical business structure and models has an implication on what we're doing in education right now. Education is the hot topic these days. Whether it's...
Disruption of the Middle Class- Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how many middle class jobs and industries have been effected by the rise of computers and automation, based on a recent Newsweek Article on the Beached White Male, entitled "Dead Suit Walking". The bonus Part 1.5 discussed the...
Disruption of the Middle Class-Admin Staff- Part 1.5
After I wrote yesterday's post on automation becoming a big or bigger problem for the middle class than it has been for blue collar jobs, an article about Secretaries and Administrative Assistants appeared in the New York Times, discussing the loss of over 2 million...
Disruption of the Middle Class- Part 1
Part 1 of a Three Part Series on the New Economy and Disruption of the Middle Class and What Comes Next... Part 2: The Rise of the Individual Part 3: Implications for Our Kids and the Future This week, I read an interesting story in Newsweek magazine about "beached...
Secret Sauce- Design Aesthetic
*Warning* Geeky stuff ahead- This is a bit of an esoteric rant on design an function, so if you aren't in the mood, you may want to skip this post. This morning, I listened to an old interview of Malcolm Gladwell at the 92nd Street Y, talking about his book Blink, and...
Finding Common Threads
One of the most powerful skills you can harness is the ability to listen, take in information and place it in context for your every day life. Sometimes, from the most mundane or seemingly useless resources, you can gain some insight, a new twist or look at things in...
Insecurities
We all have insecurities. Things we don't love about ourselves or our lives, or things we do and then question incessantly afterwards, wondering if we've done the right thing or look like a jerk. Facing up to our insecurities isn't easy, but I'm finding the fear is...
Born to Learn
I came across this video through a blog called "For the love of learning" with a subtitle of "Teachers who blame students for being bored is the equivalent to yelling at the hammer after you strike your own thumb." This encapsulates much of what I believe about...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
