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…
Community Engagement
Chris Brogan wrote a great post today, asking about ways to grow an engaged community. He spoke about the new media tools, yet a frustration at how hard it is to build communities. Some people stay voyeurs and a precious few engage. This happens in every aspect of...
Podcasters Across Borders Meme
I'm going to Podcasters Across Borders [PAB] this upcoming weekend, which promises to be a great Podcasting conference, possibly even filling in the small holes and questions I've long had but haven't yet spent the time digging to the bottom of, to date. I was really...
New Media PlayDates
I read a post over on Eric Olson's blog about networking, and how the heart of a good New Media networking event is fun. Having been to several at various PodCamps, I totally agree. It's great to have music and bands, but being able to sit and talk is important. ...
5 Reasons Community Matters
I stopped by my local coffee shop today, and while I was grabbing a drink to go, I got into a fun conversation with the guys behind the counter. And it made me stop and think- out of the different choices I have for caffeine pit stops on my way to the client's office,...
Interruption Science
One of my favorite articles in the New York Times ever was one on Interruption Science, how we get sucked off task, how to get back on task, and what kind of distractions are "best" to get out attention when they're critically important. A quote from the article: Mary...
The Attention System- Why We love A Good Mystery and the appeal of Twitter
I wrote yesterday about Ambient Intimacy, and then I spent part of the evening listening to some MIT Open Courseware lectures on psychology- great stuff. One of the things Prof. Jeremy Wolfe talks about is how babies look at novel things in their environment, then get...
Thoughts on Ambient Intimacy
Chris Brogan, acting as one of my favorite curators, pointed people towards a great post on Ambient Intimacy by Leisa Reichelt on the Disambiguity blog. This idea implies that tools like twitter create an atmosphere we have have seemingly in depth relationships with a...
Virtual Knowledge
I'm one of the Lead Organizers of PodCamp Philly, being held at Drexel University, September 7th, 8th, and 9th. And I am learning how important it is to be up on your virtual knowledge, but how difficult it can be as well. In the age of blogs, we assume everyone has...
What’s Wrong With Education In A Nutshell
I opened up my email this morning, and my daily New York Times update was there. There is a big article in the Magazine about when a child might really be ready for kindergarten, and how the "rules" are different all over the country. Why kids who are "redshirted"...
Confidence
My friend Chris Brogan is blogging about confidence. I started to comment on his post, and realized what I was saying needed a full post of its own. Confidence means many things- it can be "real" or merely a mask we put on, until we feel the strength we tend to label...
