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…
Is There a Difference Between Your Job and Your Work?
I've been mulling over the following problem for a while now, and while this idea may still be half-baked, I thought I'd toss it out for commentary and see what you think. Over on Edutopia, Jenifer Fox and I are managing a group on Personalized Learning and...
Today’s Questions and Answers
Chris Penn wrote a great post today about how to find blog topics, including reporting on the answers you find when you are searching for information. Sure enough, when I search my Google Analytics stats, the blog posts that get the most traffic are those that help...
Three Words for 2011
My friend Chris Brogan, is fond of choosing three words to provide a focus for the new year. I tend to see these words as themes rather than specific goals, and I've spent the last few days trying to narrow down the words I would choose for 2011. Words I've considered...
Evaluating Risk
A few years back, I realized I needed to challenge myself more and expect more out of myself. I started doing things that seemed risky, or at least not 100% within my comfort zone. This has lead to simply amazing things, and surprising myself regularly about what's...
Realistic Expectations
The key to happy relationships is realistic expectations. Managing expectations is not easy. It tends to involve a lot of emotional churning from time to time, where you want X but the other person can only deliver Y, and no matter what you do or how you respond,...
Getting It
Recently, I've heard a lot of people saying things like "They just don't get it," with a rather, fed-up, exasperated voice, like "There's nothing you can do to help THOSE folks. They're Hopeless." I know we've also all said this, too, in different circumstances,...
Simplicity
I find a lot of what I do involves boiling down complex, nuanced ideas into smaller steps or sound bites. Like the Eames chair and table to the right, you can accomplish a lot with really simple but innovative design. Currently, I'm in the process of editing my...
Helping When You Can
We're all asked to help out in big ways and small every day. We're currently in the season of giving, and the ask ratio has gone up tremendously across the board. My general rule is that while we give some money every year, I also like to go do things- demonstrate...
Content Rules- Book Review
One of the people outside of my family I love most on the planet is C.C. Chapman. I first got acquainted with C.C. through listening to his podcasts, and then meeting him in person at the first Podcamp Boston. Over the years, C.C. has become a dear friend, and...
Developing Systems
Let's face it. Few people are really ignorant of what they are supposed to be doing. We all know full well that we need to: Eat better/more healthfully Exercise more Balance work and family Read more books, learn more Ok, so all of that's a given. Why, if we know...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
