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…
Self Insight
Growing older doesn't always guarantee you'll grow wiser, but experience does offer its unique benefits. I found that around the time I turned forty, I realized several key things: 1. I was my own harshest critic, and if I was waiting around looking for praise from...
The Demise of Google Glass
I was invited to be a Google Glass explorer a year ago December. Despite the mafia-like invitation (you have seven days in which to accept this or tell us why you won't), I decided to give them a try, thinking it would be an adventure if nothing else. Recently,...
Criticism
It is so easy to criticize and vent these days. Snark has developed into its own art form. You probably are inundated with it in your daily Facebook and Twitter feeds. It is always tempting to join in, and complain or take cheap shots at others. For example, a GOP...
Distrust in the System
A friend of mine from St Louis wrote a post about the recent issues in Ferguson, and eloquently deconstructed them as coming from an underlying distrust in government and systems. Having just run for public office, I have a deeper understanding of this than ever...
A Brief Explanation of Common Core and all the Hub Bub
There has been a lot said about Common Core and it has become a political football for folks regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum. Coming off a political campaign, I got to see how issues like this get used as a proxy for many other ideas, and the...
The Media and the Campaign
There's a lot that goes on with a political campaign that mirrors marketing for a traditional business. In many ways, a political campaign is an eight month marketing and branding campaign- just like for any product or brand. You are either introducing a new...
Digital Citizenship and an Online World
As many of the regular readers of my blog know, I have been interested in digital citizenship since I started podcasting back in 2005. Anyone who chooses to can participate online these days, with the costs and technical barriers to entry for blogging, podcasting, or...
Dealing with Tough Problems
Yesterday, I attended a local hearing held on a State House Bill, HB 2427, that would allow emergency service providers to bill individuals for those services, up to $1,000 per incident. The purpose of the bill, to make sure our local volunteer fire departments have...
Podcasting for Beginners
This past week, I met a fantastic gentleman, Emmanuel Jenkins. Emmanuel uses a motorized wheelchair, and we spoke about how people often don’t treat people with disabilities with the same courtesy and respect, and often times, they are really not aware of how much...
Emergency Communication
There's nothing like running for office to bring up issues of emergency communication, and how it can be improved. I live in an area that's adjacent to Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE, but as a result, it's also largely overlooked by major media markets. We have a...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
