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…
In the Golden Age of Commerce…. Social and Financial Contracts
Over the weekend, I heard two politicians make comments that stuck with me. Mike Castle, congressman from Delaware, reported that in recent talks with ING Bank, they are doing very well. The mortgages that they have financed are doing fine, and there's no problem...
Economic Education- We can’t afford not to
I just saw Michael Bloomberg give an impressive interview on Meet The Press. I think he is well informed, and also realistic in what we need to do, including improving the education system we have here in the US. He spoke of the auto industry having reduced...
Great Expectations- What Are Yours?
Philadelphia has started a program of civic dialog called the Great Expectations project. Community meetings have been held all over the region, to pinpoint what the citizens think are the major issues facing our City and region, and what should be the governmental...
Trust and Transparency
My friend, John Havens and the fantastic Shel Holtz, have written a book on Tactical Transparency, due out in November. I'm eager to read the book, not only because it's by two people I know and respect, but also because it's a subject that I hear more about every...
Are High Interest Rates Bad?
Here's a thought- cheap money is not always a good thing. Today, one of the major financial houses on Wall Street, Lehman Brothers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Not a good thing. And, it's a result of the housing crisis as well. Let's turn the clock back a few...
Relationships and Trust Agents
Chris Brogan had a very interesting post on Trust Agents this morning. It got me thinking about how people become trustworthy in the internet age, when relationships may be many, but have weaker bonds than say, the friendships you make in your off-line life, through...
Gender and Politics
One point I share with parents on all the time, (and I got this insight from the great Rick LaVoie), is to NEVER confuse Fair and Equal. From Merriam Webster: Equal: 1 a (1): of the same measure, quantity, amount, or number as another Fair has many more defintions,...
The VP Pick -Behind the Scenes
As Joe Biden was being considered as a running mate for Barak Obama, reporters from all over began to camp out on a scenic road in Wilmington, that gets most of its traffic when the school down the street is in session. Driving by and taking a look at the reporters,...
Political Theater
The Political conventions are coming up, and we're all waiting to see who the candidates pick as their Vice President. Reporters and journalists are camped out in front of Joe Biden's house, just a few miles away, and I am sure this scene is being repeated at all...
Narrowcasting- Where’s the Market?
Ars Technica reports that Pandora may end up going out of business, now that the fees required by SoundExchange for royalties for internet radio have increased three-fold. Pandora is a great service, and has something called the Music Genome Project, where it...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
