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…
You Can’t Hide
I've just started reading Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae- Is Your Marketing Out of Sync? Even after just reading the first two chapters, I need to post about it. It's another great book by Seth, distilling something I think we all know at heart- you can't disguise...
New Year’s Resolutions….Mutual Success and Interconnectedness
The New Year tends to provide us with an excuse to make promises to ourselves, or start something new. Every day actually provides us with this opportunity, but somehow, the New Year seems to be a point where a new start seems more important or portentous. While...
Financial Disparities and Inequities
One of the things that always strikes me as unfair in our capitalist system is the disparate impact problem. If you have money in this country, things actually get cheaper and more affordable. If you don't have very much money, you are much more vulnerable to any...
More on the iPhone
It's been almost three weeks since the iphone entered my life. The love affair continues. It does not do every task perfectly, but it does everything adequately. Yes, when it is in EVDO mode, website loading can be slow, and certainly not as fast as my high speed...
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Entrepreneurial Woes
I was talking to my friend, Michelle Wolverton yesterday, who works as a virtual assistant. This means she takes on various tasks for clients on a project by project basis, helping them manage their businesses and time, on an as-needed basis. Like many service based...
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Negotiation Skills
I had a friend in law school who had a five year old daughter. When Gail was taking Mediation and Negotiation, she said it as the easiest class she ever took, because she got nightly practice with her child, sharpening and honing the skills in her own little...
Social Contracts and Constructs
A friend of mine from out of town came to spend the night- he had a speaking gig nearby, and so he came to the "Hoffman B & B"- bed and breakfast at our house. It was super to see him, and I am so glad he stopped by. He also did something really nice- he brought...
Quick thoughts on Education….
I got a postcard today from a virtual charter school. One where kids can essentially take all their classes from home, on the computer. I called them up, not because I am dying to enroll my kids, but because I wondered if they could take some of the classes- like a...
