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…
Change
Change scares people. Anything new and unknown makes us a little nervous- maybe a little excited, but also a bit unsure. But change is part of the nature of life- every day, you have a choice to move forward or remain the same. You can keep on doing what you've...
The Living Library
Chris Penn had an interesting post this evening about not being able to solve problems you don't know exist; how to find solutions if they are beyond your perspective in life- you literally can't see that a solution or dream encompasses those possibilities. He then...
Technology and Education
I sit on the Technology committee for our local school district. As a geek by profession, I have been both deeply concerned about the way technology is being integrated into the classroom, and amazed at how quickly things are changing for the better. The biggest...
Journalism, Citizen Journalism, Free Speech and the FTC
One of the biggest questions that's come up time and again about the new FTC Guidelines is how this applies to Journalists. Most bloggers have the perception that journalists writing for newspapers and magazines are sent free stuff all the time that they then write...
When is an Unconference not an Unconference
A friend forwarded me this link to a new Unconference, PR Camp , taking place in New York on Friday, November 20, a day after the Web 2.0 Expo concludes in NYC. Given that I will be in New York, since the Podcamp Foundation is helping to organize the Open...
A Flow Chart of Disclosure
This may need some tweeking, but it's a draft at an attempt to understand the disclosure rules in a flow chart manner- let me know what you think- does this help, or simply confuse things further?
Now What? Be the Change
Chris Brogan had an interesting post titled " What Human Businesses and the Social Web are all About" and it got me thinking, as usual. Tom Friedman has talked about how the World is Flat and the boundaries that have long separated people are evaporating as we can...
Swinging for the Fences
Trying to "hit one out of the park", literally for baseball, and metaphorically, for the rest of us, is a tricky thing. Some superstars, like Mark McGuire, made it look easy. Later, we found out that he decided to use steroids along with many other players, in order...
Examples of Good Disclosure
When it comes to the new FTC regulations regarding disclosure in advertising, the best way to learn what to do is to read the examples given in the Guidelines themselves, or to see examples of how disclosure is done well, so you can model your disclosure accordingly....
The New FTC Guidelines on Endorsements by Bloggers
The Federal Trade Commission has issued new guidelines that go into effect December 1, 2009 regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising that for the first time specifically include blogs. While there's a ton of rumors swirling around about what...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
