The Advocate

Well everyone, it has been an intense and harrowing year, filled with tragedies both local as well as national. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, issues across the socio-political spectrum have exposed deep fissures of suffering, bigotry, and injustice. There have also been bright spots, from adventures in Zoom to community charity events, but these have largely been muted by the overarching reality that has faced us starkly and unavoidably. In no way has this been more painful than in the lives of approximately 450,000 Americans who have died as a result of the coronavirus. That said, here are my resolutions for 2021: 1. Healing my mind & body. This goes from exercise to diet to medical treatment to therapy and beyond. As I move through my mid 30's with my wife and children, I can't be as cavalier about these issues anymore as I was in my 20's. 2. Cultivating habits for happiness. I mean really reprioritizing professional and personal activities with better boundar

I was pleased to see this recent CNBC piece about the systemic issues with racism and related bigotry on Nextdoor: https://youtu.be/mvL5HKyw0zs. I was even more proud to have been able to support and connected with the group, Neighbors for Racial Justice (N4RJ), which was formed in Oakland, but now encompasses several allied groups around the Bay Area, including San Leandro with yours truly! As we've seen here, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nextdoor's platform has become a public square where our community members, including local businesses, can connect with each other. However, as we've also seen, it has been used as a tool for racial profiling, toxicity, misinformation spread by public officials, and even illegal activity. This is going on against a backdrop of Nextdoor's attempts to rehabilitate its image and increase ad revenue in anticipation of an IPO (initial public offering) for the company that could see it become a real competitor for social medi