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…
Maybe I’m Silly, but….
Apology to all regular readers for this unusual rant. I promise to return you to your regularly scheduled blog posts, but I had to get this off my chest. Why are people putting up with this guy in Florida? It seems to me that if rational people cannot convince this...
Bookstores and Public Life
This morning, I was getting caught up in news, and this article about the closing of a Barnes and Noble in Manhattan grabbed my attention. It's clear that Barnes and Noble has been acting more like a community center for the neighborhood than just a store. People...
The Importance of a Story Arc
Humans are wired to learn through stories and allegory. It's been the way we've communicated and shared information from the beginning of time. Why don't more people use this fact in everything they do? Why is this not the basis of every lecture, every classroom,...
Thinking about Thinking
I'm in the middle of a book writing project that I'm really excited about. It's going well so far, and like with the best projects you ever do, you learn as much as you might get or teach out of the process. The book and thinking about how children interact with...
Understanding the Philly Blogger Tax
My friend, Justin Kownacki, wrote a great piece about Philadelphia's recent ruling about making Bloggers living in the City apply for a business license, like any other business. Justin pointed out that people in new media have longed to be taken seriously, and...
Disaggregating Content
For a long time, we could only buy music as a package deal. Sure, there were some singles available, but by and large, if you liked one or two songs, you would have to buy the whole CD or album. Then along comes iTunes and we can buy only the bits and pieces we...
Jumping Through Hoops
On a recent trip to Vermont, I started to realize how isolated a lot of people and places are. Living in the heart of the "Boswash" corridor, it's easy to forget how much of America does not live adjacent to I-95. Vermont is one of the most beautiful places I've...
Quality over Quantity
Some people approach social media as a way to to get as many messages out about themselves, their business, or projects as possible. They figure the price of joining most social networks is free, so it becomes an open river into which to dump their messages,...
AT&T Microcell- Solutions!
UPDATE: (And possible solutions if you are having issues...) You can read the part of my original post , where I just couldn't recommend the Microcell because of the headaches I was experiencing getting the thing set up. The root of the problem(s) I experienced...
AT&T’s Microcell Micro Disaster
Please See End of Post for Suggestions on how to fix any connection errors on your AT&T Microcell... Initial Post and Complaint: I am a geek. I am tech savvy. I can set up wireless networks in the house, I can set up all sorts of gear- so plugging stuff in in...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
