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…
Back on the Grid
We just got back from a family vacation, where my ability to "stay connected" to the online world was limited. I felt the pull to check email twice a day, and did take a couple of business related calls, but for the most part, I was basically disconnected from the...
Teaching, New Media Evangelism and Community
I was speaking to my friend Linda the other day, and we started talking about all the people who still aren't sure what a podcast is. I had this experience earlier in the week, wehn I presented the podcasts we were creating for residents to the new doctors...
Shifting Frames of Reference
There are times in your life when events cause you to shift the way you view things. You see something from a new angle, or through a new lens, and it looks completely different. It was pointed out to me yesterday that New Media has done this to me, yet again. My...
Consolidating Social Media
Last year, at PodCamp Boston, Chris Brogan was playing with what Citizen Journalism meant, and how to create channels of meaningful content. He founded Grasshopper New Media, and it has some great channels of content, run by intelligent and dedicated people, all...
Why a Positive Attitude Matters
Yesterday, a series of things happened that bummed me out. A few friends came to the rescue, and by this morning, the energy is back and all is well with the world. Just like the research says, a good night's sleep can change everything. It made me think about how...
The Constitution – It’s more than just an Inconvenient Truth
When I went to law school, my relationship to the Constitution of The United States changed forever. For me, the Constitution became equivalent to biblical scripture for others. It was the foundation of our society, the laws which we created to make sure we lived...
Trying to Up My Game- I Need A Tech Oracle
Every day, I find out about some new application or tool that's going to "save me" in some way. Some of these tools are truly helpful, others are added to the pile of things I should look into, others I start to play with, but rapidly become overwhelmed with the...
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
On my way to PAB, I got a flat tire. About 30 miles north of Syracuse, near a little town called Parrish. One nice guy took me to a local shop, the kind you might find in the movies. The options were wait for someone to tow the car to the nearest dealership, 120...
Caffeine Won’t Solve Your Problems – or will it?
I went to the grocery today, and I found a new product with eye catching labels- diet pepsi MAX, billed as an "invigorating cola". Trying to figure out what this is, since Pepsi is always putting something weird into their normal drinks to try to make them new, when...
Going on New Media PlayDates
This weekend, I attended the Podcasters Across Borders Conference (affectionately known as PAB) in Kingston, ON. It was another amazing experience, and I met truly wonderful people, with whom I hope we've started long and enduring friendships. PAB had a different...
