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…
Family and the Holidays
My family is coming to join us for Thanksgiving. While my "blood" family is important to me, my internet family is also important. Before things get totally crazed, I thought I'd give thanks to the blessings of this past year: Rob & Megin Hatch- these are two of...
The Illusion of Having it All
My friend, Linda Mills and I got a chance to talk yesterday, and we talked about how many women are having problems balancing home and career these days. Growing up in the 70's and 80's (I graduated highschool in 1983), there was this kind of post-feminist, "You can...
The Meaning of Friendship
We toss around the word friendship on the internet all the time. Are the people we talk about our friends, or our acquaintences? Are they people we would be close friends with if we lived in more geographically similar locations, or are they the "Easter-Christmas"...
The Power of Writing
For an upcoming episode of the LD Podcast, I got to talk to Dr. Steve Graham of Vanderbilt University, one of the leading authorities on the development of writing skills and teaching writing to students in the country. In the course of our conversation, we spoke...
Funding for Education in this Country
I was reading some of the positions on issues of political candidates, including the internet darling, Ron Paul. One of the bellweathers for me is education, and how we fund it in this country. So I thought it was high time to discuss this openly, and hear what you...
Passion Aggressive
I have a problem with passive aggression. The way some people avoid issues, allegedly to avoid hurting feelings, but the indefinite nature of the response breeds nothing but frustration. While thinking about this, I came up with a new concept all together, Passion...
New Blog Tag- The Book Meme
This morning, I woke up to find I was tagged by my good friend, CC Chapman, in the latest blog tag meme. As I can easily be classified a bibliophile, this one's right up my alley. The Protocol: Answer 5 questions. Tag 5 booklovers. The Questions: 1) How many books do...
New Media Sociology
The people attracted to social media come in many flavors. People hope to gain a host of different experiences, from making friends, to tossing around ideas, to finding others who share similar experiences. Unlike the real world, geography makes no difference, and...
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The Downside of ADHD
The worst part of having ADHD is often feeling overwhelmed. Little things seem to pile up into hills that seem unmanageable. Yet each thing taken on its own is totally and easily accomplished. Yet the feeling of frustration, of not knowing where to begin or whether a...
