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
Running for Office again!
Dear Neighbors: While elections may be popularity contests, governing is about doing the hard work required, every day, that our community demands and deserves. To me, part of my job is to be available- that’s why I answer your questions on Facebook, NextDoor Now, email, phone, at the grocery, and
STEM, Girls and The Beastie Boys
UPDATE: Goldiblox has written an open letter and taken the video down. I'm actually sort of sorry about that, because it was a STEM great video, and even more, has started a real and serious conversation about girls and science, engineering and math. The replaced...
10 Holiday Spending Truths and the No Duh Moment
I was flipping through the news today, and came across an article entitled "Americans Not Willing To Spend Without Deals." My first thought was "You're surprised by this? " and then "And whose fault is that?" Retailers are starting Christmas earlier and earlier every...
The Personal User’s Manual
I was reading a great blog post over on Edutopia about writing a Student's User Guide. The title was a bit dull, but on reading it, a teacher talks about developing a "personal User's Guide" not only for herself, but having each of her students do the same thing. I...
Project versus Problem Based Learning
I'm really excited to be part of the group facilitators over at Edutopia. This week. we're having an interesting discussion about cross-curricular project based learning which, in my mind, is about trying to get teachers in different subject areas to collaborate and...
Website Design and Healthcare.Gov- the Silver Lining
The roll out of Healthcare.gov has been bad. But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud for folks in the digital space. We might finally have the best example ever to demonstrate how important User Interface and Experience is to the success or failure of a...
When Is It Corruption?
I've long thought the money in politics is obscene. When I heard that Congresspeople spend 20 to 30 hours a week trying to raise money for their next campaign, is it any wonder why they never get much done in DC? (The Boston Globe did an article here saying new...
7 Things to Improve Your Business Today
1. Make sure everyone understands they are part of the team. Whether it's a receptionist, a stock boy, a manager, or anyone in the store, make sure they know your mission and what you're trying to get accomplished. 2. Everyone on the team should be empowered to help...
The Entrepreneur’s Creativity Box
I've been a subscriber to several Quarterly.co "care packages" ever since they became available. These curated packages of the unique and unusual appeal to my sense of exploration and surprise every time. There's often a sense of utility-meets-whimsy in every box...
Education Clichés
This morning, I read a New York Times opinion piece called "The Great Stagnation of American Education" by Robert Gordon. My first thoughts were that it contained a lot of useful information about how important education is for long term earning potential, and was...
Cultural Currency
Watching my kids navigate the waters of high school, and now watching the first one acclimate to college, I realize how much of our lives trades not only in monetary currency, but how much of it depends on the cultural currency you carry. For kids, we easily lump this...