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…
Juggling, Triage and Honesty
If there's anything I know about, it's juggling many balls in my life. Between being a Mom, working and volunteering, I often have so much on my plate, things risk falling off the edge and getting lost in the shuffle all the time. This has always been an issue for...
Thinking About a Year as a Podcamper
Podcamp Logo Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan. It's been a little over a year since I attended the first Podcamp. Since that time, I've been to and spoke at Podcamp Toronto, helped organize and spoke at Podcamp NYC, attended Podcasters Across Borders, was the Lead...
Work Life/Personal Life- Should There be a Difference?
I read a blog post by Eric Olson, talking about trying to figure out if there was or should be a line between “work” and “life”. Eric pointed out that in the past, our customers were also our friends and neighbors. We were our work, but we were also the person next...
The Twelve Steps of Volunteering
I’ve been volunteering on one form or another for many years now. I’ve been treasurer of a Hospital Fund Raising Organization, managing its four businesses and $1.5 million dollars of investments; I’ve helped run charity golf tournaments and silent auctions, book...
Another reason to Switch to Verizon FiOS
This morning, I woke up and tried to log onto my email over at Comcast.net. I had great connectivity; I could get to my gmail no problem, but the Comcast.net portal was not accessible. The site was down. Fine, it happens. When I called to see what was up, I was put...
Zen Acorn
Zen Acorn Originally uploaded by idg. I was having a stressful moment at Podcamp Philly. CC Chapman was in the car with me. I was trying to find a center, and said something like - "I'm letting go of control. I'm an acorn, floating along- trying to let go of the...
My Home 2.0
I went to an event this afternoon sponsored by Verizon and its new FIOS service. Verizon took over a home in the Yardely, PA community, and did a complete tech makeover of the home. For the big reveal, Verizon had a huge block party, complete with carnival games, face...
Quick Note: Don’t Scrape Emails
Amember of the Podcamp Philly community decided to scrape emails off the registration list, trying to solicit business. I understand this is a temptation to many. In case it is not entirely clear to everyone let me say ths loud and clear: The Registration list is...
The Four Hour Work Week- Letting Go of Fear
On the suggestion of Chris Brogan, I am listening to the Four Hour Work Week. It's an interesting book, and I'm about a third of the way in so far. What struck me about the book is that at first blush, it's another pitchy, quick fix to all your ills sort of thing,...
Managing People the Un-Way
Organizing an UnConference may seem like a simple thing. Open Source. Group Participation. Everyone working towards a common goal. But in reality, it's just as complicated as organizing a "real" conference, a book fair, or and event, with a volunteer workforce. (I'll...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
