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…
Be Prepared
Everyone has heard this age-old Boy Scout motto. Our mothers preached it, and I preach it to me kids. Whether we say "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" or the more eloquent spin from Paul Newman that says "You can do anything, as long as you are...
The Small Things Matter Most
One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Mother Theresa- "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." She also said "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." Our family dog was hit by a car on Friday. We took her to our...
How to Confuse Your Friends
I recently got a message from a friend who was wondering why I wasn't responding to them and was wondering if I was mad at them for some reason, which came as a total shock to me. They kept sending me messages on Facebook, but I am rarely on Facebook. Here's what...
Social Media Yenta – Here’s the ROI
One of the most amazing things about the first Podcamp Boston is how many enduring friendships have come into my life because of it. Of the 347 people on the registrants list for that very first Podcamp, I can count at least 45 friends, close friends, colleagues, and...
Supply, Demand and Higher Ed
For a few years, I've been part of an Alumni interview committee for my undergraduate university. The kids often seem like they have built an impressive resume and seem much more qualified than I think I was at that age. It always made me wonder- did I just get...
Pathways Into the Future
The turning of the calendar seems to give us permission to reinvent ourselves in some way, to have a clean start. I look at it as not a way to discard the past, but as a chance to review, reflect, and figure out how to move things forward. As part of the New Year, I...
Repost of Salon.com response to Belkin’s Article
Is Caroline Kennedy "opting in"? Despite what the New York Times Magazine argues, the wannabe senator's crass play for political power doesn't teach us much about moms reentering the workforce. By Rebecca Traister Jan. 06, 2009 | In this past Sunday's New York Times...
Repost of New York Times Article from Sunday, January 4, 2009
By LISA BELKIN Published: December 31, 2008 on the Motherlode blog, Sunday New York Times Magazine, January 4, 2009 Outside Philadelphia, a lawyer named Whitney Hoffman is wrestling with her résumé. She barely worked a full year as a lawyer after graduating from Penn...
The Devil is in the Details
This morning I read Seth Godin's latest post about Expertise and Passion, and suggest you do, too. As much as I've written about getting your messages down into "marketing" sized packages, making them simple and eaily understood, the caveat to this is that the...
Top Quotes of the Year
I love quotes, and while I thought I'd shoot for ten, telling you why I like these makes this post pretty long. So I'll just gather my favorite quotes here, fixed number be damned.... 1. You can do anything, as long as you are prepared to deal with the consequences-...
