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…
Businesses in Trouble
We are book people. I love browsing through bookshops, and have ever since I was kid. My favorite book shop growing up started out as a used book store called "The Village Green" in Rochester, NY. It was around the corner from our house, and I could go there and...
Using the Tools at Hand
Chris Penn had an interesting post on his blog today that boils down to this point: It's in the way that you use it. Just like the Eric Clapton song says: It's in the way that you use it, It comes and it goes. It's in the way that you use it, Boy don't you know. And...
Extending the Conversation
The conversations and people I have met through podcasting, social media channels like Twitter and events like Podcamp in its various forms and incarnations have changed my life. It's not just that I have made great friends who I never would have met otherwise, but...
Reputation
Reputation is a tricky thing. Ben Franklin said, "“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it”. It's at once your most valuable possession, but one of the most fragile as well. Online, we all build a digital footprint that...
iPhone Apps for Moms
A few of my friends are getting their first iPhone, so I thought I'd put a list together of my favorite apps, and let you add yours, to help them get started. News I like the New York Times headlines app; USA Today, Bloomberg for geeky finance news. The Weater...
Companies that Care
A while ago, I wrote about how Wegman's food markets used their customer database to call and warn customers of products they had purchased that might contain the pistachios that had been recalled, and how excited I was that they cared as much for me after the sale as...
Other People’s Money
I was with a group of friends recently and we were discussing conferences. One person said "Was it worth it? Would you have been annoyed if you had spent that much of your own money to attend?" And it struck me right there and then- we treat the money in our own...
Electronic Medical Records and Impatient Patients
I read a blog post by Andy Kessler today, who has written a book called The End of Medicine, which I have admittedly not read as of yet. The post alleges that the medical industry has created a complete boondoggle of finances, and if we were to employ electronic...
The Lines are Blurred
On a recent trip to Europe, I was amazed that the Daily Show with Jon Stewart is broadcast in an "international version" along with a disclaimer that it's "satirical news". While the satire part seems self-evident, the recent change in press standards is making the...
News Flash
Today, people gathered on twitter to discuss the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Other rumors swirled that maybe Harrison Ford or Jeff Goldblum also shuffled off the mortal coil. But here's the thing.... Crowd psychology being what it is, it would take...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
